In 1881, Black laundresses in Atlanta led a strike weeks before the International Cotton Exposition came to town. Demanding $1/dozen pounds of laundry, the Atlanta Washerwomen’s Strike of 1881 was one of the largest, successful interracial labor strikes of the post-Civil War era.
The Wash by Kelundra Smith offers an intimate and often funny look at ordinary women who went from workers to fighters and won. With humor, heart, and history, her play celebrates ordinary women who discovered extraordinary strength, transforming from workers into fighters and ultimately changing the course of labor rights in the South.
Organized by Powerstories Theatre
