Race, Repression and the Future of New Labor Activism

Labor activism is on the rise in the U.S., and workers and organizers are taking new and intriguing steps to have more voice, involvement, and power in their workplaces. This begs the question of whether this new surge in labor activism will have long-term consequences or amount to a “flash in the pan.” In this paper, I argue that the success of current labor activism will hinge on two factors: whether organizers successfully confront longstanding racial disparities in workplaces and occupations, and the ability to preempt and survive the resulting state repression and organizational backlash.