Velma Hopkins (February 24, 1909 – March 19, 1996 ) was a fearless labor rights activist whose leadership helped reshape the labor movement in Winston-Salem, North Carolina .
She played a pivotal role in organizing a massive 1943 strike against the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , rallying over 10 , 000 workers in the fight for fair wages and better conditions .
Her activism led to the formation of the only union ever established at Reynolds Tobacco and positioned her as a leader in the city’s Black community and beyond…