In 1917, white employees strike. Company recruits Black southerners as strikebreakers, pitting the groups against each other and leading to devastation in East St. Louis.
In 1917, white employees attempted to unionize and decide to strike. The company responded by luring Blacks from the south to East St. Louis as strikebreakers. This manipulation pits migrant Blacks against white employees; decimating lives, homes, and a community.—Bryan Sparkman