Dear Teamsters Local 2010 Members,
As we celebrate Black History Month, we are honored to reflect on the legacy of African Americans who have shaped the labor movement, advanced civil rights, and strengthened our nation. This month holds special meaning for Local 2010 as our President Catherine Cobb is the first African American woman to serve as president of a Teamsters local west of the Mississippi River.
This year, President Cobb had the privilege of attending the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration in Atlanta, where she was reminded of Dr. King’s profound impact—not only as a leader in the civil rights movement but also as a champion for workers’ rights. In his final days, he stood beside striking sanitation workers in Memphis, declaring, “All labor has dignity.” His words resonate with our mission as Teamsters: to uphold the dignity, rights, and humanity of every worker.
Dr. King believed that economic justice and racial equality were inseparable, a vision that continues to guide our Union’s work. He once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” But as he reminded us, the arc does not bend on its own—it takes all of us, standing together, to make progress happen.
As we honor Black History Month, let us draw strength from those who come before us, like A. Philip Randolph, who led the drive to organize the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters Union (also known as the Pullman Porters); Mary McLeod Bethune, who fought to end segregated education, improve healthcare for Black children, and register Black women to vote; W. E. B. Du Bois, the sociologist, historian, author, and activist who helped found the NAACP; and Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama.
Let us recommit ourselves this month to the work ahead: ensuring that every worker regardless of race, gender, or background has access to opportunity, fair treatment, and respect.
We are proud to be involved in a membership as diverse and determined as Local 2010, and we know that by standing united, we will continue to make history.
In solidarity,