Black History: Special Delivery!
The Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike of 1881 was a groundbreaking labor movement led by the Washing Society, a group of African American laundresses who organized to demand better wages, improved working conditions, and respect for their labor. This strike is notable for being one of the earliest organized labor actions led by Black women in the United States.
In the post-Reconstruction South, laundry work was one of the few employment opportunities available to Black women. The work was arduous, involving long hours of washing, scrubbing, boiling, and ironing clothes for white families, often for meager pay ranging from $4 to $8 per month. Despite the essential nature of their labor, these women faced exploitation and disrespect from their employers.
In July 1881, a group of twenty Black laundresses in Atlanta formed the Washing Society, demanding a standard rate of $1 per dozen pounds of laundry and greater control over their work. The society grew rapidly, reaching more than 3,000 members within three weeks, including support from some white washerwomen. The strike began on July 19, 1881, strategically timed just weeks before the International Cotton Exposition, which was expected to bring numerous visitors to Atlanta. This timing added pressure on city leaders to respond to the women’s demands.
Despite their organizing success, the washerwomen faced harsh opposition. The local press referred to them mockingly as “Washing Amazons,” an attempt to ridicule their efforts. The strikers remained undeterred, declaring, “We mean business this week or no washing,” a slogan that underscored their resolve. In retaliation, authorities arrested some of the women and proposed a $25 annual license fee for washerwomen, intended to cripple their movement financially. Some landlords also raised rents to further pressure the strikers. One woman, unable to pay her fine, was sentenced to 40 days on a chain gang.
Nevertheless, the women persevered. They organized door-to-door campaigns, rallied public support, and held a major strategy meeting on August 3, 1881, at Wheat Street Baptist Church, where 500 strikers gathered. They issued an ultimatum to Atlanta’s mayor, James W. English, stating they would pay the license fee if they could gain control of the city’s laundry work and maintain their wage demands. The city eventually conceded, granting the washerwomen greater autonomy and some wage increases.
The strike inspired other labor actions in the city, such as a protest by Black waiters at the National Hotel. Although not all wage demands were immediately met, the washerwomen’s strike demonstrated the power of organized labor, particularly among Black women, and laid the groundwork for future labor and civil rights movements. The 1881 Washerwomen’s Strike remains a powerful example of resilience and grassroots organizing in the face of systemic oppression.
Sources:
- Jones, Jacqueline. Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work, and the Family from Slavery to the Present.
- Hunter, Tera W. To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors after the Civil War.
- AFL-CIO History: Atlanta Washerwomen Strike of 1881
- African American Registry: The Atlanta Washerwomen Strike Occurs
- Southern Labor Archives: Georgia State University Library
- Weber, Brandon. “‘We Mean Business or No Washing’: The Atlanta Washerwomen Strike of 1881.” The Progressive, February 6, 2018.
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