Women's History Month - Lillian Hatcher
During Women's History Month, we recognize the women whose courage, leadership, and determination helped shape the labor movement we benefit from today. One of those trailblazers is Lillian Hatcher, a Detroit labor leader whose impact helped open doors for women and Black workers throughout the union movement.
Born in 1915 in Greenville, Alabama, Hatcher later moved to Detroit during the Great Migration, where opportunity and industry were drawing thousands of Black families to the city. Like many women during World War II, she joined the workforce and worked as a riveter at the Briggs Manufacturing aircraft plant. But her contributions went far beyond the factory floor.
In 1944, Hatcher made history when she became the first Black woman to serve as an international representative for the United Auto Workers. At a time when both women and African Americans faced enormous barriers in organized labor and society, Hatcher stood firm in advocating for fairness, dignity, and opportunity for all workers.
Throughout her career, she fought to ensure that women workers had a voice in their workplaces and that discrimination had no place in the labor movement. She later worked within the union’s Fair Practices and Anti-Discrimination Department, helping push the labor movement toward greater equality and inclusion.
Hatcher’s influence extended beyond the shop floor. In 1961, she served as a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention, helping shape policies that strengthened civil rights protections for people across the state.
Lillian Hatcher’s story reminds us that progress in the labor movement has always been driven by courageous individuals willing to challenge the status quo. Her leadership helped pave the way for generations of women and Black union leaders who continue to fight for fairness, equality, and respect on the job.
This Women’s History Month, we honor Lillian Hatcher not only for the barriers she broke, but for the legacy she left behind — a labor movement that continues striving to live up to the ideals she fought for every day.