Halena Wilson (left) with A. Phillip Randolph and Rosina Tucker
© DC Historic Preservation Office

Halena Wilson

Past President

Ladies Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

A co-op educator and activist, Halena Wilson used her position as president of the Chicago Ladies' Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters to show Black women the path to economic self-sufficiency through cooperation. Wilson promoted labor-conscious consumerism and developed education resources for sister organizations outside Chicago.

Advocate for Black Economic Power

In the 1920s, when Halena Wilson joined the Chicago chapter of the Ladies' Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), she envisioned a more impactful purpose than hosting tea parties and organizing fundraisers. Wilson was determined to use her leadership position to organize and educate other Black women. She wanted to show them how to fight a racially discriminatory economic system by building financial security for their families and their communities.