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Labor,
civil
rights
activists
to
attend
A.
Philip
Randolph
Institute
National
Conference
in
Detroit
By
Wendell
Bryant/Tell
Us
Detroit
DETROIT
- The A.
Philip
Randolph
Institute’s
47th
Annual
National
Education
Conference
starts
Wednesday
in
Detroit.
More
than 500
labor
and
civil
rights
activists
are
expected
to take
part.
"The
Motor
City is
significant
for all
workers,
with
particular
significance
for
black
workers.
Detroit
became a
global
symbol
of
American
ingenuity
as it
became
the
capital
of
America’s
most
important
industry—automobile
manufacturing,"
said
APRI
National
President,
Clayola
Brown
U.S.
Rep.
John
Conyers
is one
of
several
members
of
Congress
scheduled
to
attend a
labor
and
civil
rights
conference
in
Detroit.
Conyers
is a
Democrat
from
Detroit.
Flint
Mayor
Karen
Weaver,
UAW VP
Jimmy
Settles
and
national
talk
show
host Joe
Madison
are also
scheduled
to
speak.
Flint
was
under
state
control
in 2014
when the
city
switched
from
Detroit’s
water
system
to the
Flint
River in
2014 to
save
money.
The
corrosive
river
water
caused
lead to
leach
from
aging
pipes
into
homes.
Flint
has
switched
back to
Detroit
water.
History:
The A.
Philip
Randolph
Institute
is a
labor
and
social
justice
organization
that
advocates
on
behalf
of
minority
working
men and
women.
Following
passage
of the
Voting
Rights
Act,
APRI was
co-founded
in 1965
by A.
Philip
Randolph
and
Bayard
Rustin,
to forge
an
alliance
between
the
civil
rights
movement
and the
labor
movement.
Their
efforts
got them
on the
master
list of
Nixon
political
opponents.
In 1965,
1,000
black
schoolchildren
were
arrested
for
attempting
to march
in front
of an
Alabama
county
courthouse.
That
same
year,
the A.
Philip
Randolph
Institute
was
founded.
APRI's
mission
has been
to fight
for
racial
equality
and
economic
justice.
The role
of APRI
was to
work
with
black
trade
unionists,
and
build a
bridge
between
labor
and
black
communities.
APRI was
also the
spearhead
for an
organization
called
the
"Black
Alliance",
and
together
they
would
support
the
trade
union
movement.
APRI has
150
chapters
in 36
states.
APRI
members
support
political,
community
education,
lobbying,
and
labor
support
activities.
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