As Black History Month comes to end and we usher in Women’s History Month, we feel this is a perfect time to speak to the We Dream in Black Unbossed Agenda. The Unbossed Agenda is We Dream in Black’s principles to transform the lives and labor of Black house cleaners, caregivers and nannies through collective effort. We Dream in Black is working to give power back Black dometic workers those who are U.S. born and immigrants, of multiple gender identities and sexualities, and of varied class backgrounds and abilities—some of the most invisible, essential and unprotected workers in our country.
The Unbossed Agenda was inspired from Shirley Chisolm’s mantra and slogan in her presidential campaign “Unbought and Unbossed”. Today Black domestic workers claim this mantle of visionary leadership.
Unbossed Agenda priorities are transforming the domestic work industry to ensure inclusion in all labor rights, protection from workplace abuse, and fair wages. With the directives of the Unbossed Agenda we aim to center collective care and social programs to build infrastructure for thriving Black communities. Additionally, we strive to disrupt harm and disrupt the systemic and systematic harms that disproportionately affect the lives of Black women and domestic workers.
Domestic work carries profound historical ties to the enslavement of African peoples and the long-standing economic exploitation and social oppression of Black women. Throughout history, from the quiet acts of resistance by enslaved women to the bold strikes of Southern washerwomen in the late 19th century to the groundbreaking organizing efforts of 20th-century Black female leaders Dorothy Bolden and Melnea Cass, Black domestic workers have consistently spearheaded movements to enhance industry conditions and uplift their own lives.
The domestic work industry remains plagued by poverty wages, pervasive sexual harassment, and a lack of essential regulations and labor protections for domestic workers. We carry forth this rich legacy as we engage in our daily work.
Maya Angelou’s poignant words resonate deeply: “Courage is the most important of all virtues because, without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency.” A profound testament to this truth lies in the legacy of Black domestic workers and our ancestors. Our unwavering strength and resilience have defied the moral shortcomings of a society entrenched in inequity and white supremacy. Through our courage, compassion, and tenacity, our community and women across the United States have attained the rights we hold dear today.
You can read the entire Unbossed Agenda here:
Keep coming back to the We Dream in Black blog where we’ll discuss all the current Black domestic workers and women in history who’ve change the United States for the better.
We Dream in Black – Georgia Organizers and member leaders
We Dream in Black: We Dream in Black (WeDiB) is an initiative of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and is the organizing home that centers the voices and experiences of Black, Afro-Latinx, and Afro-descendant domestic workers.
Unbossed Agenda: The ‘Unbossed Agenda’ is We Dream in Black’s organizing directive to give power back to the visions of Black domestic workers, who are U.S. born and immigrants, of multiple gender identities and sexualities, and of varied class backgrounds and abilities—some of the most invisible, essential and unprotected workers in our country.