Voices from the Archives: The 1969 UNC Food Workers’ Strike

Actors from PlayMakers Repertory Company, under the direction of Kathy Williams, will tell the story of a one-month strike by food service workers at UNC-Chapel Hill that began February 23, 1969. The strike, which drew the support of the Black Student Movement and other allies, was a key moment in the history of labor and activism at Carolina. This program draws from oral histories, contemporary news accounts, and archival documents at the Wilson Special Collections Library. It focuses especially on the perspectives of the workers and student activists who led and participated in the strike.

The Gillings School has a strong relationship with the food strike. Public health students were among the activists in this struggle and the events were a precursor for the formation of the Minority Student Caucus.

Reception – 4:30 pm
Program – 5:30 pm