Across this nation, throughout February, there were celebrations in honor of Black History Month. It’s a time not only to celebrate, but to educate. It’s a time to acknowledge the accomplishments, delight in the rich heritage and retell the history of a people often forgotten, mistreated, and misunderstood.

But Black History Month is not without controversy. Some critics say that empowerment is not accomplished by one month of recognition. Others find it outdated, only symbolic, not necessary, and even separatist. Its founder, historian Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, argued that “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and stands in danger of being exterminated.”

For me, there is no controversy. Black History Month is about history and so much more. It’s involvement. It’s about action. It’s about recognition. And, most important, it’s a call to duty. Black History Month is not about validation, it’s about inspiration. It’s about creating more accomplishments, breaking more barriers, and earning the respect of ALL people. It’s about adding new chapters to a rich history.

February is known as the month for acknowledging “The Best” in many categories—from the Super Bowl to the Grammy Awards. Let’s use the occasion to honor our own list of “Best” and work to add more names to it. For sure, the list is already long with many giants and “firsts”, past and present, including Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., former President Barack Obama, Rev. Calvin Butts, Justice of the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Congress Members like Shirley Chisholm and Hakeem Jeffries and New York State Attorney General Letitia James. But while Black History Month remembers the past and celebrates the present, it must also look to the future. It should be a time that helps to motivate, mentor, and nurture our next generation of champions in the struggle for social and labor justice.

For labor unions, there’s an important principle used in organizing efforts to increase our membership. That principle is: Show workers tangible benefits from joining a union. Let them know that benefits such as healthcare coverage, paid vacations, workplace safety requirements and minimum wage did not always exist. Labor unions fought hard for them—and won—while continuing the fight for equality and respect on the job. That principle also holds true for inspiring and exciting young people to get more involved. It’s not easy for any labor leader to accomplish, and that’s especially true for Black labor leaders. It’s often more difficult for them to be taken seriously or to receive acknowledgement for their accomplishments because of prejudice and misinformation. Take, for example, that remarkable win to unionize Amazon workers in Staten Island. That was no small feat! That victory was unthinkable a mere four years ago! Yet, in March of 2020, an Amazon warehouse worker, Christian Smalls, led a walkout in protest of deplorable, Covid-related conditions. Amazon had dismissed Smalls as insignificant. They even fired him. But he connected with his co-workers in a way Amazon’s highly paid PR team could not do. That’s what labor leadership should be about: Connecting with workers. And to a large degree, Black labor leaders are in a prime position to lead the way.

All labor leaders experience challenges, but for many Black labor leaders, the challenges are even greater. We are confronted with glaring daily headlines  about harm and hate throughout the world, the nation, and our city. It’s often difficult to see the “havens” of help, normalcy and compassion that still exist today. They are obscured by the noise and chaos that regrettably touch so many lives. Labor unions represent one such “haven”. They provide stability and hope. And they have a track record of achievements to prove it. But the job of outreach to increase membership and thereby improve our ability to have influence and impact is often met with low expectations and disrespect, from both inside and outside of the union. That’s why the next step of inspiring and nurturing leaders-in-the-making is so important. Without that, we are sunk.

It's important to note that, however daunting the challenges may appear, we are now seeing some promising signs. Although union membership across the nation has declined, New York remains strong at roughly 22%. And about 70% of the union workforce is in the public sector, with African Americans making up the largest number. So, here’s a suggestion: Let’s use our strength in numbers to not only grow our base of members, but to also support and encourage the next generation of Black labor leaders. We can connect. We’re good at it. And that’s how leadership is gained and maintained.