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The Colored National Labor Union arrived shortly after the development of the National Labor Union, which happened to be the first major organization founded by Andrew Cameron in 1866. The National Labor Union was dedicated with helping unions such as construction and other skilled groups and even sometimes towards farmers. At this point in time African Americans were struggling to be noticed and taken seriously in the work field and in society they felt that if they started their own national union it would help their position in society because they were not given any help from the National Labor Union. The only thing that the National Union offered to African Americans was to encourage them to organize and separate that could be affiliated with the National Labor Union but this plan was clearly not designed to help with racial unity because it only left black workers fighting for an entry into the union. In 1869 African Americans came together as one to form the Colored National Labor Union and appointed Isaac Myers as their president, Myers stated that the CNLU was a “safeguard for the colored man…the white and color must come together and work.” Unfortunately the CNLU was very unsuccessful for society and the government did not take it seriously. With racism at an all time high, the Colored National Labor Union was not even given a chance because the majority of white society did not allow African Americans to prevail over them nor did they want them to be given a chance to.

Intro to Afro-American Studies: Black Workers and the Labor Movement at eblackstudies.org