From raising a family to leading an army into battle, women have shown incredible power, along with strong hearts, and compassion for centuries. Some women never had the opportunity to be recognized, while others have chosen to take a quiet, humble approach. It is our job at simoneink to create a platform for some of those women who have continued not to have the spotlight they deserve.
Today, I bring to you Addie Wyatt - one of the 12 women recognized in 1975 as Time Magazine’s “Women of the Year.” She was, and still remains, one of the powerful women to change the way organized labor is viewed – the impact of her activism is felt still to this day.
Addie Wyatt on the cover of Time Magazine in 1975
For me, Wyatt represents someone I personally admire for her stamina, will, foresight, and dedication to what is fair and right - maintaining strong values and the respect of others. This is at the foundation of simoneink and important to remember along the way in one’s journey through society.
Wyatt was a trailblazer in fighting for workers’ rights and eliminating wage discrepancies during the height of the American feminist movement and changed the way for organized labor. Mississippi born and eldest of eight children, she called Chicago home – growing up, she learned the important skill of how to be responsible for others.
As an educated young adult seeking a career in public speaking and communications, Wyatt originally applied for a job as a typist for Armour and Company in 1941; but because African American women were excluded from holding administrative positions, she was sent to the canning department to pack canned stew for the army. Contracts between Armour and Company and the United Packinghouse Workers of America [UPWA] caused Wyatt to earn more money than she would have in the aspired, original position. Upon realizing this and the fact that UPWA did not discriminate against its members, she left Armour and joined the UPWA which inevitably changed the trajectory of her career path from a normal day job to her role as a major voice in the civil rights movement.
At the UPWA, Wyatt began to make some major moves and was viewed as an innovator. In 1953, she was elected as Vice President, and a year later became the first woman president. As her accomplishments continued to soar, she became the first female international vice president in the history of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen and later served as director of its Human Rights, Women’s Affairs, and Civil Rights Departments of over 550,000 members.
In the civil rights movement, Wyatt played an integral role as a leading civil rights campaigner in Chicago during the 1960s. She served on the Action Committee of the Chicago Freedom Movement, helping to organize protests and joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in major civil rights marches - including the March on Washington, the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, and the demonstration in Chicago.
As a passionate spokeswoman for women’s rights, advocating for greater inclusion of women and minorities within the labor movement, Wyatt co-founded the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the country’s only national organization dedicated to union women, and was named to the United States Commission on the Status of Women by Eleanor Roosevelt [simoneink’s first profile]. As if this was not impressive enough, she then went on to found the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and the National Organization of Women.
Addie Wyatt is a name you don’t hear of everyday, but someone you must know now – and not forget! Her devotion and will to voice her belief in equal rights made a difference. At simoneink, we value and honor her feats – we share the belief that you cannot be silent, but that you must be a voice for what is right in the face of something that is wrong. Step with the right foot forward every day and make a positive change - live like Addie did.