Welcome to the Queendom
- Mary Curry
- Sep 1
- 2 min read
Beloved Queens,
This Labor Day, I write to you not just as a holiday reminder, but as a reckoning with our past and present. The New York Times reported this week that in Trump’s federal work force cuts, Black women are among the hardest hit—hundreds of thousands of jobs eliminated, with disproportionate impact on us. Reading this, I felt a sharp parallel between here-and-now and yesterday.
As Dr. Julianne Malveaux reminds us: “For me, [Labor Day] is a reminder of the foundational contribution that Black people have made to our nation, and especially the hidden work that Black women have provided, against all odds. … They may have worked without joy, but always with purpose, and we are the richer for it.”
A Touch of Black Labor History
Our story in the labor movement has always been one of resilience and backbone:
In 1881, washerwomen in Atlanta organized and struck for fair pay, daring to claim dignity in a world that tried to erase them.
In the early 20th century, A. Philip Randolph and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters secured victories not only for Black men on the rails, but for their families and communities.
During World War II, the “Black Rosies” labored in shipyards and factories, welding and riveting planes while fighting racism at home.
In 1968, the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike became a rallying cry for dignity and justice, with Dr. King standing beside Black men who demanded to be recognized as human.
Each of these moments tells us: we may not always be seen, but we have always been the backbone of labor, of justice, of this nation itself.
What Is Our Step Forward?
So how do we honor a day that so often erased us? We honor it by remembering. By teaching our children and grandchildren that Black women’s hands have always built, cooked, cleaned, cared, fought, led, and loved this country into being. We honor it by organizing—ensuring our sisters have pathways into education, leadership, entrepreneurship, and ownership. We honor it by refusing silence, by demanding policies that protect our work, our lives, and our future.
We also honor it by lifting each other up. As Queens, we know we may not always be at the forefront of every stage or every platform. But let us never forget—we are the backbones of every movement.
So today, on Labor Day 2025, I charge you: straighten your crown. Walk tall in the knowledge that you are standing on the shoulders of heroines, and that others will stand on yours.
With love and solidarity,
Mary Curry
Queen / Co-President
Linked Arms (ADOES) Family Child Care Association
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