Ruminations of a Reflective Mind: Michael Smith's Blog on Life and Society

The Untold Labor History of Black America

A living archive tracing Black workers’ fight from 1669 to today

What does a 1669 Virginia law that let enslavers kill with impunity have to do with gig‑work algorithms and minimum‑wage fights in 2025? Everything. Trace the red thread of racialized labor through slave codes, Black Codes, sharecropping, convict leasing, union struggles, civil rights victories, neoliberal roll‑backs, and today’s policies shaping paychecks.

Browse the Chapters

1. Backstory: Reflected-In-Blood-Ink
2. 1669–1865 | Chapter 1: Slave Codes & the Birth of Racial Labor
3. 1865–1915 | Chapter 2: Black Codes, Sharecropping & Convict Leasing
4. 1915–1960 | Chapter 3: Industrial Migration & Union Struggles
5. 1960–1975 | Chapter 4: Civil Rights Meets Labor Rights
6. 1975–2010 | Chapter 5: Neoliberal Deregulation & Inequality
7. 2010–Present | Chapter 6: Modern Roll-Backs & the Black Worker Today
8. Conclusion: The Lasting Impact on Black Workers Today
9. Sources & Closing Reflections

⬇️ Download the Full 38‑Page Report (PDF)

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