NAACP Mourns the Passing of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka

The NAACP mourns the passing of Richard Trumka, who served as President of the AFL-CIO for over a decade. 

Trumka has been an outspoken advocate for social and economic justice. As a third-generation former coal miner, his commitment to improving life for working people began early. Trumka thought the right to freely and fairly organize was a patriotic belief, not a partisan one. He believed that unionism strengthened civil rights, created fairer workplaces, and built a stronger economy.

Once elected president of the AFL-CIO in 2009, Trumka confirmed that organized labor would make an effort to work more closely with groups trying to aid Black and immigrant workers. Under Trumka's leadership, the AFL-CIO has grown its commitment to the future of work for Black Workers, addressing civil and human rights in and outside of the workplace, lifting the plight of immigrant communities, and prioritizing voting rights. 

Throughout his time as president of AFL-CIO, Trumka was a true partner in the fight for equal justice. He advocated for voting rights and strengthening civil rights laws. Trumka was quoted just last month in Texas, stating: "Those attacking voting and those attacking unions are the same, what Dr. King called 'A twin-headed creature spewing anti-Negro epithets from one mouth and anti-labor propaganda from the other mouth."

In 2018, Trumka was the inaugural recipient of the World Peace Prize for Labor Leadership because of his lifetime dedication to the cause of labor rights and seeking equality for working men and women. We know his legacy will continue to inspire many generations to come. 

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