The Freedom Train

Shown at the Detroit Historical Museum

(28 minutes)

The National Negro Labor Council, formed in 1951, was a forerunner of the Civil Rights movement that followed in the 1960s. It grew out of the auto factories of Detroit and the sweat of black laborers across the country. Its mission was to advance blacks in the workplace and eliminate racism inside unions, but this was considered a radical agenda, making it a target for the House Un-American Activities Committee. This film portrays the struggles and triumphs of this fledgling movement.