My grandfather, born nearly 100 years ago, was one of the first Black postal workers to join the service in LA in the 1940s. He was so proud of that, and it allowed him to put 6 kids through college. I wonder very much what he would say about all of this.

He was a labor man. Worked as a porter to get through Fisk, and after the war, joined the USPS where he stayed for about 40 and little plus years.

The USPS definitely provided an economic stability that continues to reverberate in his family. They were able to build from there.

There’s no way I would’ve been able to do Basquiat scholarship w/o the post office b/c my father would’ve never been able to collect art in grad school, start his own business w/o the stipend/investments he got from his father’s economic foothold via the USPS, so on and so forth

I mean, there was a time when getting a job at the USPS was very difficult for Black people to get PRECISELY because it was well paying, it was union, the benefits and pension were A1 and there was job security.

It’s why so many older Black folks were/are proud of their service

The first generation of Black postal workers (post WWII) remember: those jobs were not easy at all to get. Lemoyne used to say it a b/c USPS used to say that White folks did not want Black ppl walking up on their property, getting close to their front door — versus the back.

I don’t know if this is a part of the narrative, but my grandfather remembered that during the 40s and 50s, basically a barrier to the postal service was b/c White ppl in America would find it traumatic to have Black ppl that close to their front door, handing them mail.

I am a strong union believer -- I was very proud to have joined my union in grad school -- and chose career options based on union presence. I am a proud labor woman, and save the @USPS, lock up Breonna Taylor's murderers and union organize as much as you can.