Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the We Dream in Black initiative of the National Domestic Workers Alliance

Senate Resolution No. 2279

BY: Senator HINCHEY

        COMMEMORATING the 10th Anniversary of the We Dream
        in Black initiative of the National Domestic Workers
        Alliance

  WHEREAS,  It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and
commend   organizations   whose   steadfast   commitment   to   service,
empowerment,  and  community advancement contributes to the strength and
vitality of our society; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the We Dream in Black initiative  of
the National Domestic Workers Alliance; and

  WHEREAS,  We  Dream  in  Black  is  a vital initiative serving as an
organizing home that centers  the  voices  of  Black,  Afro-Latina,  and
Afro-descendant domestic workers; and

  WHEREAS,  The  members  of  the We Dream in Black - New York Chapter
stand in a proud and centuries-long tradition of  resistance,  beginning
with  the  1881  Black  washerwomen  of  the South whose strikes set the
precedent for labor actions across the United States; and

  WHEREAS, We Dream in Black was specifically created to  address  the
historical  underrepresentation  of  Black domestic workers in the labor
movement and to provide a safe space for workers to discuss their  lived
experiences and build collective power; and

  WHEREAS,  We  Dream in Black continues the legacy of Dorothy Bolden,
founder of the National Domestic Workers Union of America  which,  under
her  leadership,  represented  30,000  workers  and  served as a trusted
advisor to three Presidents of the United States on  matters  of  social
welfare and labor; and

  WHEREAS,  The  We  Dream  in  Black  -  New  York Chapter has been a
vanguard for  change,  instrumental  in  winning  landmark  protections,
including the incorporation of domestic workers in the State's Paid Safe
and Sick Leave and Paid Family Leave laws; and

  WHEREAS,  Since  2016,  this organization has successfully recovered
over $500,000 in stolen wages for  domestic  workers  through  dedicated
legal  clinics,  ensuring  that  dignity  in  the workplace is backed by
economic justice; and

  WHEREAS, The year 2026 marks a significant  decennial  milestone  in
the  Alliance's  history  of  organizing  for  the  rights  of  workers,
leadership development, and recognition of domestic work  as  the  labor
that makes all other work possible; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the 10th Anniversary of We Dream in Black  and  commend  its
exemplary service to the communities and workforce of the great State of
New York and across the United States; and be it further


  RESOLVED,  That  copies  of  this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the National Domestic Workers Alliance and  We  Dream  in
Black initiative.