| 1850 | The American League of Colored Laborers, the first organization of
black workers, was established in New York City.
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| 1869 | The National Labor Union is the first organization of white workers
to advocate the creation of black labor unions and to allow blacks to attend
its annual meeting.
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| 1869 | The first national black labor organization, the Colored National Labor
Union, was formed.
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| 1918 | The Department of Labor's Division of Negro Economics, the first federal
bureau to attempt to ease labor-related racial tensions caused by blacks
leaving the South, was established.
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| 1941 | The Fair Employment Practice Commission, the first federal agency to
promote fair employment practices, was established.
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| 1945 | The Ives-Quinn Act, the first state legislation prohibiting discrimination
in employment on the basis of race, creed, or color, was passed.
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| 1957 | A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters,
was elected as the AFL-CIO's first black vice president.
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| 1964 | The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the first federal fair employment legislation,
was passed.
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