Standing Tall (ePub)

Jake Sloan tells the story in Standing Tall: Willie Long and The Mare Island Original 21ers, of the quest for economic and social justice for African American workers employed by the federal government at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in the 1960s. His work interrogates the concepts of equality and democracy embodied in the ethos of the United States and expands the scope of civil rights scholarship. The book is a testament to sacrifice, the value and imperative of organization, solidarity and risk associated with speaking up and speaking out. Indeed, the book demonstrates how those who blaze new trails must be willing to face the headwinds. The monument on Mare Island pays tribute to the original 21ers and this book illustrates the courage and resolve indicative of the struggle for justice by African American people dating back to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. This book makes clear how many have attempted to tell a story of African American people that is biased, grossly distorted, triumphal, revisionist and tantamount to fomented misconceptions. The story of working people who fought for their humanity and self-respect is largely untold. The mental labor that Jake Sloan engaged in is a tribute to the original 21ers who were central figures in local Black Power labor politics. The story of Standing Tall is not well known and bears witness to the need to stand up for one's rights and the critical importance of leadership. The 21ers used the approach of any means at hand for tools and the need to have a cogent agenda in the quest for equality. The story was part of a national movement for civil rights and social justice. Part of the war industry, more than 1,000 African American workers on Mare Island Naval Shipyard were confronted with racial discrimination in working conditions, unequal pay, hiring, training and advancement while the federal government and larger society spewed platitudes about democracy, liberty and equality manifesting a glaring contradiction.