As part of its Black History Month commemoration, the AFL-CIO is profiling the affiliate leaders at constituent unions across the country. Among those profiled were three past or current AFSCME members. Here are their stories as told by the AFL-CIO:
Yvonne BrooksYvonne Brooks comes from a union family. She joined AFSCME Local 410 and became a shop steward during her first six months of employment. In 1996, Brooks accepted the position of staff representative for AFSCME Council 31. In 2008, Brooks accepted an international position with AFSCME as an area field service director. She worked for the AFSCME Florida Voter Protection Project during the 2008 election. Brooks was elected secretary-treasurer of the Georgia AFL-CIO in 2011. And in 2023, she became the first woman and first African American to be elected president of the state federation. |
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Annie AndersonAnnie Anderson is head custodian at the Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy in Columbus, Ohio, where the students know her as “Miss Annie.” She makes sure her students know they are loved and can achieve great things. As an OAPSE/AFSCME member, Anderson uses her voice to ensure that she and her co-workers have the tools they need to provide a safe and colorful environment where kids can thrive. |
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Bruce DavisBernard “Bruce” Davis is entering his second term as the president of AFSCME Local 2406, which provides representation to more than 1,200 Oklahoma City employees. Davis has been instrumental in ensuring the visibility of the union in the community. From providing meals for teachers during a walk out to distributing 500 turkey baskets to families for Thanksgiving to giving 300 bicycles to kids for Christmas, his tenure has focused on community service. In 2022, he received the NAACP Labor Award. |
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To access the AFL-CIO’s entire Black History Month blog series, go here.