Labor leaders, organizers, artists, musicians and activists gathered Thursday evening at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, DC for the Labor Heritage Foundation’s 2026 Solidarity Forever Awards, honoring SEIU President April Verrett for her leadership in organizing, worker advocacy and labor culture.
The evening celebrated not only Verrett’s leadership, but also the growing role of labor arts and culture in organizing and movement-building at a critical moment for workers’ rights and democracy.
In one of the evening’s most memorable moments, Verrett declared that “culture moves people before politics ever will,” urging the labor movement to think boldly and creatively about organizing in the current political climate.
“We cannot meet this moment with business as usual,” Verrett said. “We need a labor movement that is bold enough to think differently, creative enough to reach people where they are, and courageous enough to tell the truth about what we’re up against.”
Calling solidarity “a song… art… memory… imagination,” Verrett praised the Labor Heritage Foundation for understanding that labor culture is central to organizing and movement power.
The event opened with performances by the DC Labor Chorus and music from the Steve Jones Trio, with longtime labor leader David P. White serving as emcee.
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond reflected on the enduring power of labor arts and storytelling, noting that “the history of workers, the history of labor, is the history of this nation.”
Jenn Stowe of the National Domestic Workers Alliance emphasized the importance of “storytelling and narrative and creativity” in organizing strategy, while Brittany Anderson of Pride At Work warned against ongoing attacks on Black history, queer history, women’s history and working-class history.
Labor Heritage Foundation Executive Director Chris Garlock highlighted the organization’s recent growth and expanding national reach, including increased membership, growing audiences for the Labor Heritage Power Hour and Labor Radio Podcast Daily, expansion of the national Labor Arts calendar, and the relaunch of the Labor Landmarks Map originally created by LHF co-founder Saul Schniderman.
Garlock also noted the Foundation’s growing role in labor movement training and cultural organizing, including recent collaborations with SEIU staff trainings.
During the program, David White recognized Labor Heritage Foundation co-founders Saul Schniderman and Joe Uehlein for decades of work preserving and promoting labor arts and culture.
The handcrafted Solidarity Forever Award presented to Verrett was created by Bricklayers Local One member Matthew Stokes Winship.
Author and longtime organizer Ken Grossinger, whose book Art Works: How Organizers and Artists are Creating a Better World Together explores the intersection of culture and organizing, summed up the evening this way afterward: “The evening filled my heart. What spirit and politics and a fine group of people. Congratulations on another great event.”
Photos and video from the event will be posted soon on laborheritage.org and the Labor Heritage Foundation’s Facebook, Instagram and Blue Sky channels.
The Labor Heritage Foundation thanks all sponsors, performers, volunteers, speakers and attendees who helped make the evening such a success.