As Black History Month 2026 begins, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is highlighting its role in supporting African American workers throughout history. The IAM points to the broader labor movement’s contributions, referencing figures such as Frederick Douglass, who led the Colored National Labor Union in 1872, and A. Philip Randolph, organizer of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in the 1920s. The union notes that it welcomed African American members a decade before the Civil Rights Act was passed in the 1960s.
“It’s mind-boggling to learn about the tremendous history that links labor activism with the upward economic mobility of the Black Americans,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Our union has been at the forefront of civil rights and Black History Month is a great time to share our union’s story.”
In 1944, IAM District 727, representing workers at Lockheed in southern California, encouraged diversity by sending an open letter supporting integration. Six years later, Roman Mayfield became one of the first African Americans to join IAM as a production worker at Boeing in Seattle. Although initially denied membership due to local policies against admitting Black members, Mayfield continued attending meetings until he was accepted in 1950. His persistence contributed to increased hiring of Black workers at Boeing and their subsequent membership in IAM.
Other moments highlighted by IAM include former president Al Hayes greeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in New York City in 1962; chartering predominantly African-American lodges such as Local 14 in Washington, D.C., and Local 2013 in Richmond, Virginia during the 1960s; assisting with rebuilding efforts after riots in Watts, California; negotiating major contracts for diverse workforces at General Dynamics’ Fort Worth site; and appointing Robert Roach Jr. as its first African-American General Vice President in 1999 and Diane Babineaux as its first Black woman General Vice President in 2013.
The union also maintains partnerships with organizations like the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) and the A. Philip Randolph Institute to support black economic fairness and racial justice within workplaces.
