Beatrice Lumpkin

Beatrice Lumpkin is a long time labor activist with laundry workers, steelworkers, and teachers. As a math professor at Malcolm X College in Chicago, she fought to restore the contributions of people of color to the educational curriculum. She has served as a multicultural consultant to textbook publishers and to public schools in Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Portland, Ore. She is the author of “Always Bring a Crowd, the story of Frank Lumpkin Steelworker” and “Joy in the Struggle, My Life and Love.” Beatrice Lumpkin is an active member of the Teachers Union and SOAR.

LATEST ARTICLES BY Beatrice Lumpkin

Books

Hidden history: The truth about Reconstruction
September 17, 2021 By Beatrice Lumpkin
Back in 1988, historian Eric Foner brought us the story of a revolution reversed; it's worth revisiting today.
Read more
Books

Black women laundry workers finally get their due as organizers and leaders
August 9, 2021 By Beatrice Lumpkin
As a history of laundry workers and their 108-year struggle for justice from 1912 to 2020, Jenny Carson's book comes at an important time.
Read more
Opinion

Communist teacher turned health minister leads pandemic fight in India
December 2, 2020 By Beatrice Lumpkin
Shailaja’s passion for science led her to become a physics and biology teacher. The class struggle in India drew her to the Communist Party.
Read more
Opinion

Justice for fossil fuel workers—Pass the Green New Deal
February 11, 2020 By Beatrice Lumpkin
The big banks and energy giants are getting ready to pick up their ill-got gains and run, while they dump the fossil fuel workers.
Read more
Opinion

65 years after Brown vs. Board: What happened to multicultural education?
May 17, 2019 By Beatrice Lumpkin
How much progress have we made in getting racism out of our schools since Brown vs. Board?
Read more
Opinion

Needed: A shorter work week
December 17, 2018 By Beatrice Lumpkin
Productivity is higher than ever thanks to technology...so why are we all still working so much?
Read more
Labor

After Janus decision, teachers say: “We’re sticking with the union!”
July 19, 2018 By Beatrice Lumpkin
The American Federation of Teachers isn't letting the Supreme Court slow it down. The union just hit its biggest membership number ever: 1.7 million.
Read more
U.S.

99-year-old activist to Southwest Airlines: Stop age discrimination
April 9, 2018 By Beatrice Lumpkin
Approaching the age of 100, activist Bea Lumpkin doesn't have time to waste with policies that discriminate against seniors.
Read more