A unionized workforce was never part of the original plan at Sparrows Point. Neither was racial equity. Workers were meant to be cogs in a machine, and black workers got channeled into the hottest, dirtiest, and lowest-paying jobs. It took until World War II before the plant was unionized, and it took until the 1970s before the company was forced to desegregate its job classifications. This episode, we learn about the uphill battle for worker rights and racial justice at Sparrows Point.

<p>A unionized workforce was never part of the original plan at Sparrows Point. Neither was racial equity. Workers were meant to be cogs in a machine, and black workers got channeled into the hottest, dirtiest, and lowest-paying jobs. It took until World War II before the plant was unionized, and it took until the 1970s before the company was forced to desegregate its job classifications. This episode, we learn about the uphill battle for worker rights and racial justice at Sparrows Point.</p>

In 1887, it was an isolated stretch of marshland on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay. By 1958, it was the biggest steel mill in the world. It went bankrupt in 2001. And by 2015, it was a pile of demolished rubble. Sparrows Point is a story of capitalism, labor unions, race, gender, civil rights, pride, and hubris.  It’s the story of American steel.

<p>In 1887, it was an isolated stretch of marshland on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay. By 1958, it was the biggest steel mill in the world. It went bankrupt in 2001. And by 2015, it was a pile of demolished rubble. Sparrows Point is a story of capitalism, labor unions, race, gender, civil rights, pride, and hubris. &nbsp;It&rsquo;s the story of American steel.</p>

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