Join us in our mission to create lasting social change with the Black Labor Week Project Inc.
Building a Brighter Future Together
Join us in our mission to create lasting social change with the Black Labor Week Project Inc.
Food Prepping and Delivery
Food Prepping and Delivery
Food Prepping and Delivery
At Black Labor Week Project Inc., we understand the need to be sure everyone who needs a meal, gets a meal. We partner with several local charities to always be sure no one goes hungry.
Volunteering
Food Prepping and Delivery
Food Prepping and Delivery
Our team regularly donates their time and energy to helping the community. We understand the need to not just give back but to also pay it forward. We commit time and resources to several community based buildings and organizations that need our help.
Teaching Indiana Youth
Food Prepping and Delivery
Teaching Indiana Youth
Education is one of the most important and precious resources for our young children. We know the importance of educating our next generation of adults. Black labor Week Project spends hundreds of hours every year delivering educational programs and resources.
Our Mission
of Black Labor Week Protect is to unapologetically reshape the narrative within the Black community while building and strengthening a fragile foundation through the components of Labor, educational initiatives, justice, love, optimism, resources, spirit and structure. We want to create mentoring programs, after school projects, voter registration and education initiatives, develop partnerships within the community, community seminars and townhall meetings, legislation development, Black Worker initiatives, scholarships, Leadership Development and more within the Black community.
Our Vision
Black Labor Week's vision is to build confidence where there is disparity, poverty and limited resources, by tangibly bridging the void and recreating the relationship between the labor movement and the Black Community through action, education and Empowerment. We're also making it our purpose to create an environment through the reversal of A. Philip Randolph words, where we don't hate each other, because we don't fear each other, meaning that we know each other. We will know each other through communication, displaying solidarity that will show that we're not separated. We're developing a platform that's changing lives and the community.
Moments of Hope: Our Journey in Photos
Founder & Executive Director - Ephrin Jenkins
Join Black Labor Week Project Inc. in Changing Lives
Ephrin Jenkins, affectionately known to everyone as "EJ" is from Gary, IN and is a proud father of two kids, Ephrin and Brooklyn Jenkins. He's approaching 23 years of service at U.S. Steel Gary Works and as an activist as a Steelworker. EJ is the Founder and Executive Director of Black Labor Week Project Inc., founded in 2012, that became a 501c3 non-profit organization in 2023.
He comes from a background of activism within the Labor Movement as a whole. He's held many positions of leadership such as Civil Rights Chairman, Assistant Griever, USW Next Generation Advisory Council appointee, USW Next Generation District Coordinator, USW LU 1014 Next Generation Chairman and now USW District 7 Next Gen Sub Coordinator. He has completed Years 1-4 of the USW District 7 Summer Institute Program, with one year being there as a facilitator/educator. He's also completed all 4 years of the USW International Leadership Scholarship program and the AFL-CIO Young Worker Leadership Institute. He's the APRI State Coordinator of Indiana and the founder and creator of Black Labor Week, which is now nationally recognized and is approaching its 13th year in existence.
Over the years he has held various titles and positions within the Steelworkers Union, A.P.R.I. and other community outlets. Piggybacking off of the Steelworkers young worker initiative, he started up the Young Workers Movement of District 7, January of 2011. He's known for his organizing skills, voters registration campaigns and stance against racial injustice. He has been a speaker for various conferences and events and he has taught an array of workshops geared to educate folks on various topics.
He has always been a strong advocate for community involvement and empowerment. In 2015 as a reaction to the senseless gun violence taking place in Gary, IN that killed an innocent young female athlete, he he met with likeminded people and organized a citywide "Stop The Violence" march. The end goal was to try to create a platform of communication that would lead to tangible change against gun violence in the Black community.
E.J. goes by his own words quoting, " "I want to create more activists. I want people to be a part of something they can be proud to be involved in." "I've been putting myself in a position to learn so I can succeed when it's time to lead". Saying that in 2019 he was asked to go out to Pittsburgh, PA to lead the organizing efforts in putting together the Steelworkers very first and official International Next Generation Conference. It concluded in success that turned out nearly 1,000 attendees.
Our Board of Directors
Treasurer Evelyn Resto
Secretary Theresa Jenkins
Chairwoman of the Board LaTonya Pearson
President Bernard Jenkins Jr.
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