This month, we salute the many contributions of Black Americans to our nation's history and to the history of the IBEW and the greater labor movement.

When the IBEW was founded, segregation was in effect in most of the United States. Denied access to good jobs and homes, Black workers were also barred from membership in most white-led organizations, including many unions.

For the most part, this included the IBEW. However, that did not stop Black workers from playing a crucial role in the growth of organized labor and the IBEW. That's because for many leaders of the Black freedom movement, any campaign against Jim Crow must also be a movement for economic justice, so unions were at the center.

Throughout the IBEW's history, there have been numerous examples of Black members who worked to make this union what it is today, even in the face of discrimination.

Sam Taylor, who we write about in this month's "Grounded in History" column, is just one example.

Trained as an electrician in 1920s Chicago, he was initially denied full membership in the IBEW. However, Taylor and fellow Black electricians did not give up on the union and, by World War II, were admitted as members in full standing.

Today, Taylor's company, Taylor Electric, stands as one of the oldest family-owned Black businesses in the United States, putting IBEW members to work throughout Chicago and Illinois.

While the days of Jim Crow are long gone and the IBEW has made significant strides when it comes to inclusion, we still have work to do to ensure that every worker in our industry knows they have a place in this union. That is why I am so excited by the efforts of the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus, which met last month in St. Louis.

The conference theme was "Evolving to Face Tomorrow," which perfectly sums up what the EWMC is doing.

As President Cooper and I have said, there are more opportunities for the IBEW to grow than there have been in generations, but we can't seize them without the efforts of IBEW leaders like those in the EWMC.

But we need to get the word out to every community and working person about what the IBEW is all about, especially workers who have never considered a career in the IBEW before.

As we celebrate Black History Month, let's remember that Black history is also America's history and the history of Black workers who helped make the United States what it is.

The IBEW is committed to supporting leaders of color and activists across our union who continue to make history for working families.

So let us all remember — not just in February — that we are one IBEW, sisters and brothers bound by a common cause, to build a better world for all working people.

Also: Cooper: A Stronger Apprenticeship