Building Labor Day with Intention: Reflection & Action for Black-Owned Businesses

Building Labor Day with Intention: Reflection & Action for Black-Owned Businesses

Labor Day is often seen as the unofficial end of summer, a day of cookouts, family, and rest. But its roots are far more radical, born out of the struggles of working-class people who demanded fair wages, safe conditions, and dignity in their work. For Black communities, the story is layered: while Black workers helped build this nation, they were often excluded from the protections and power that unions and labor movements provided.

Today, as we honor Labor Day, we invite you to reflect on what this holiday can mean for Black-owned businesses and the broader community.

The Hidden History of Labor Day

Labor Day was never just about a day off. It came from protest, resistance, and the fight for justice in the workplace. For Black workers, especially in the South, that struggle was compounded by racism, exclusion, and systemic barriers that still echo today.

African American leaders were central to labor movements. A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, fought not only for the rights of Black workers but for all marginalized communities. His activism helped pave the way for laws like the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Civil Rights Act, ensuring protections for millions.

The fight goes back even further. In 1886, tens of thousands of Chicago workers went on strike to demand an eight-hour workday. The protests culminated in the Haymarket Affair, where workers were killed and leaders executed, yet the labor movement grew stronger. These men became known as the Haymarket Martyrs, remembered for sparking an international labor movement.

Just eight years later, in 1894, employees of the Pullman Car Company launched a strike over wage cuts and unfair dismissals. Supported by the American Railroad Union, the strike spread nationwide. The federal government responded with violence, sending troops that killed 30 workers. The shock led Congress to establish Labor Day as a national holiday to honor the sacrifices of American workers.

From these struggles came rights we often take for granted: the eight-hour workday, the 40-hour workweek, workplace safety protections, unemployment insurance, the abolition of child labor, and programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

These victories were never won alone. Workers and unions stood with civil rights, voting rights, marriage equality, immigration reform, and more. Labor Day reminds us that nothing was given — every gain was fought for.

Yet the work is not finished. Today, millions still fight for a living wage, protections for immigrants, fair healthcare, climate justice, and dignity in a rapidly changing economy. Labor Day calls us to remember where we came from, honor those who fought before us, and commit to the battles ahead.

Rest as Resistance

In recent years, conversations about rest, balance, and intentional living have been rising in Black communities. Labor Day can be more than a holiday. It can serve as a reminder that rest itself is an act of resistance in a system that has historically extracted labor from Black bodies without fair compensation or care.

Building Black Futures Through Ownership

For MMBOB, Labor Day is also about imagining and creating new futures. Supporting Black-owned businesses is labor justice. It ensures that our work, ideas, and innovation are valued and compensated fairly. It creates jobs, builds wealth, and strengthens communities.

Call to Action

This Labor Day, we challenge you to do more than rest:

• Support a Black-owned business.

• Reflect on the labor that makes your daily life possible.

• Share resources that uplift Black entrepreneurs.

• Join us at MMBOB as we build sustainable futures rooted in justice and ownership.

How are you honoring Labor Day this year? Share with us in the comments or tag us in your reflections. Let us keep building, resting, and creating with intention.