Remembering Carol Wall

The labour movement lost a leading trailblazer, educator and activist with the passing of comrade Carol Wall. A lifelong labour activist,Wall began her union activity while employed at the Toronto Star. From there, she rose up the ranks to be elected to the position of vice-president representing workers of colour at Canada’s national federation of unions, the Canadian Labour Congress. In 2004, comrade Wall became the first-ever black woman to run for the presidency of the Canadian Labour Congress,CLC) challenging then President Ken Georgetti. Her campaign captured the hearts and minds of labour activists yearning for change, and captured 37 per cent of the vote, despite no endorsements from the labour movement leadership. In fact, many of these ‘leaders’ made every effort possible to deny Wall the ability to speak to their members.

While the leadership at the time focused on advocacy and lobbying, Wall tore a strip off the leadership, demanding a bottom-up, rank-and-file approach that focused on internal and external union education, organising and mobilising. Writing in Canadian Dimension, activist Geoff Bickerton succinctly captured the energy of the CLC convention and the tremendous impact of Wall’s insurgent campaign. “Wall called for the CLC to bring unions together to map out a strategy to take on Wal-Mart. She stated, ‘We need more cooperation and less competition between unions. It is clear the current campaign to organize Wal-Mart should not fall to the UFCW alone.” Comrade Wall shook up the convention and forced labour leaders to question current practices.

Wall not only moved mountains from the outside to shake up the labour movement, as an educator and facilitator she delivered countless workshops to thousands of members. As an author,Walll, along with Bev Burke, Jojo Geronimo, D’Arcy Martin, Barb Thomas wrote this critical handbook to labour education, Education for Changing Unions.

Her work can be seen in the multiple structural changes that labour unions have undertaken to address systemic racism within its ranks. Recent changes at several Canadian public-sector unions exemplify the fight that Wall achieved, along with countless activists who demanded change. These changes could also be seen by the growing ranks of racialised workers who attended this year’s CLC convention. While much work is still desperately needed, the fight to participate at conventions is a result of the thankless work of Wall and many others who demanded that racialised workers must be included.

As a public intellectual, Carol Wall penned multiple articles, pushing the envelope, demanding changes. After the murder of George Floyd, she wrote an open letter titled ‘Dear White Sisters and Brothers’, a damning indictment of the complicity of white people and their silence during this period of racial reckoning. So eloquently she penned the following:

“I want white people to do the work and come up with a plan. Then we can talk, because I am no longer carrying the burden. This next point is very important: we don’t want you to speak for OUR community. We want you to speak for and demand changes of YOUR community. It is past due that white people put in the work necessary to demand better for all people and to change your homes, places of worship, corporations, community spaces and political structures – and yes, unions.”

Wall continues with her aspirations for a better world through calling for the dismantling of white supremacy. She continues:

“I did not create white supremacy and I don’t benefit from it, so those who do must examine and dismantle it. I am not going to watch as our children have to give their children “the talk” about how to act small, timid, don’t move, keep your hands in plain sight, don’t ask questions when stopped by the police. I also don’t want to have to watch my grandchildren cry when they have been playing with their white friends all through their formative years and once they reach their teen years, when possible romances begin, they are suddenly “not invited” to the party.”

Our history books celebrate the contributions of women leaders such as Viola Davis, Claudia Jones, Shirley Chisholm and Rosemary Brown, activists who fought the establishment and who have inspired generations to continue the struggle. It is my hope that Carol Wall receives similar recognition for her tireless efforts. Thank you for your strength, love and solidarity.