Labor Day is more than a long weekend or a signal that summer is winding down. For African American older adults—many of whom broke barriers, bent norms, and built lives through hard-won labor—it remains a powerful reminder of pride, perseverance, and progress.

Last year, we reflected on the historical struggle for workplace justice and the vital role African Americans played in shaping labor movements. This year, we return to those themes with a renewed focus on legacy—how the labor of Black elders continues to ripple through families, communities, and history.

The Work Beneath the Work
For many older African Americans, the jobs they held were more than sources of income—they were acts of resistance and care. Domestic workers, Pullman porters, teachers, assembly-line workers, civil servants, postal employees, and union stewards not only contributed to the economy—they held communities together.

They showed up early and stayed late. They wore uniforms pressed with quiet pride. They saved paychecks to send children to college, support churches, and fund movements. And often, they did this while being paid less, respected less, and expected to do more.

Their labor was not only physical—it was emotional, cultural, and deeply relational. It forged a sense of identity, purpose, and dignity, even when external validation was absent.

The Inheritance of Resilience
Today, many younger generations carry with them the values instilled by those elders: discipline, self-respect, a belief in collective advancement. These are the invisible inheritances passed down alongside well-worn tools, family recipes, and framed union cards.

This Labor Day, we honor not just the work African American seniors did—but the spirit with which they did it. Their legacy shows up in every Black-owned business, every first-generation graduate, every grandchild who now has the freedom to pursue work fueled by passion rather than necessity.

Progress, Still in Motion
Even as we celebrate the strides made, we must also recognize the labor injustices that persist. African American seniors are disproportionately affected by inadequate retirement savings, rising healthcare costs, and limited access to age-friendly employment opportunities. In many ways, the fight they once waged on picket lines and office floors continues in policy debates and caregiving systems today.

At Sage Collective®, we believe in honoring labor not just with words—but with action. That means advocating for equitable access to meaningful work, dignified aging, and intergenerational opportunity. It means listening to the stories of our elders, and letting their experiences shape our pursuit of justice.

This Labor Day, Let Us Remember:

• The mop and broom wielded by Ella Watson in Gordon Parks’ iconic American Gothic were symbols of both oppression and pride.
• The hands that built railroads, cleaned schools, and cared for children also wrote poetry, organized unions, and sowed the seeds of cultural flourishing.
• And that labor, in all its forms, is worthy of honor—not just one day a year, but every day we benefit from its fruits.

To our elders: thank you for your labor, your legacy, and your love. May we carry your example forward with reverence and resolve.