Invitation: Advancing Alabama Labor History Symposium
Dear Labor Leaders and Allies,
The
North Alabama Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO, in partnership with the
Auburn University
History Department and the
Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities,
warmly invites you to participate in the
Advancing Alabama Labor History Symposium.
Friday, Sept. 11, 2026
9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Pebble Hill
Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities at Auburn University
101 S. Debardeleben Street
Auburn, Alabama
Alabama has a rich labor history and a proud tradition of working-class organizing—from miners and
textile workers to public employees and industrial workers who helped shape our state’s economy and
communities. Yet much of this history remains under-documented, scattered across archives, personal
collections, and the memories of workers themselves.
This convening is an opportunity to bring together l
abor leaders, scholars, graduate students,
archivists, collectors, and anyone else interested in advancing the study and preservation of
labor history in Alabama. By building stronger connections between the labor movement and those
who research, document, and interpret its history, we hope to ensure that this tradition is preserved and
revived for the new and next generations of workers.
We are especially honored that
Dr. Robin D. G. Kelley, the Gary B. Nash Endowed Chair in U.S.
History at UCLA and one of the nation’s leading historians of working-class movements, will join us as
the keynote speaker. Dr. Kelley’s scholarship has helped illuminate the depth, courage, and complexity
of working-class organizing in our state, making him an ideal voice to help frame this conversation
about the past and future of labor in Alabama.
The gathering will provide an opportunity for:
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Labor leaders and organizers to share their goals and interests in advancing labor history,
including sources and materials yet to be archived.
?
Scholars and graduate students to discuss their current research topics and projects related
to Alabama labor history.
?
Archivists to provide overviews of collections and opportunities for research.
?
Collectors of labor history ephemera to display portions of their collections and share insights
from their work.
Free and open to the public but registration is required.
Registration will open July 1, 2026.
Please register at:
aub.ie/laborhistory
If you have questions, would like to suggest a brief presentation, or are interested in sharing materials
from a collection, please contact us.
We hope you will join us for this important conversation about preserving and advancing Alabama’s
labor history and how the lessons of the past can help inspire the labor movement of the future.