A unionized workforce was never part of the original plan at Sparrows Point. Neither was racial equity. Workers were meant to be cogs in a machine, and Black workers got channeled into the hottest, dirtiest, and lowest-paying jobs. It took until World War II before the plant was unionized, and it took until the 1970s before the company was forced to desegregate its job classifications. This episode, we learn about the uphill battle for worker rights and racial justice at Sparrows Point.

Sparrows Point: An American Steel Story is produced in partnership with WYPR.