Beatrice Lumpkin, long time CLUW member (Chicago Chapter) addressed the delegates at the American Federation of Teachers’ Convention in Minneapolis on 7-20-16.  She was part of a panel and talked about her lessons from spending 83 years in labor and community organizing.  Then, on 7-21-16 the AFT Women's Rights Committee presented her with a Living the Legacy Award.
 
Bea is a founding member of CLUW and at 98 years old she is believed to be the oldest active CLUW member. On March 27, 2014 CLUW honored her with the Pioneer Award during the 40th Anniversary Celebration.
 
Sister Lumpkin became an activist in high school in New York City during the Great Depression (1933). She was part of the fight that won unemployment insurance and social security and fought for women’s rights.  She helped organize laundry workers in New Your City in 1937. Moving to Buffalo she worked in a radio factory represented by UE. During the war she fought for the double V – Victory against fascism abroad and Victory against racism at home.. She was active along with her husband who was a steel worker in Chicago. She later became a mathematics teacher and joined the Chicago Teacher Union and was a stalwart in 1971 at the strike at Malcom X College. Since joining CLUW she has been a vice president of the Chicago CLUW chapter, a delegate to the National Executive Board and a delegate to most CLUW Conventions.  She is also an author and mother of 4.
 
Congratulation for a life well lived!