Book Talk with Norman Hill and Velma Murphy Hilll
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day, AFT and Shanker Institute President Randi Weingarten sat down with civil and labor rights icons Norman Hill and Velma Murphy Hill to discuss their memoir, Climbing the Rough Side of the Mountain: The Extraordinary Story of Love, Civil Rights, and Labor Activism, a first hand account of their decades of work with Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, and Al Shanker to name a few.
Married for more than 60 years, Norm and Velma have been lifelong activists and leaders in the Civil Rights and labor movements. Among their accomplishments, Norman Hill was national staff organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and led the A. Philip Randolph Institute for more than 40 years. Velma Hill organized and led the United Federation of Teachers’ Paraprofessionals Chapter in New York and was a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers.
Norm and Velma Hill contributed so much to both the civil rights movement and the labor movement. In this interview with Randi Weingarten, their energy for a more just world is contagious. Their story is worth learning and their hope for the future is worth hearing for all of us who share their vision for justice and freedom.
Selected Clips
Labor rights icons Velma and Norman Hill launched their lifelong activism from the front lines of the civil rights movement. In a recent book talk with the Albert Shanker Institute, they reflected on the courage required to lead the historic "wade-ins" at Chicago’s segregated Rainbow Beach. Watch here.
2. Organizing the March on Washington
Tasked by Bayard Rustin and A. Philip Randolph to serve as Field Director for the 1963 Marchon Washington, Norman Hill traveled from city to city building the coalitions that made the March possible. Hear Norman discuss the grassroots organizing that powered one of America’s most pivotal moments. Watch here.
3. The Unionization of Paraprofessionals
When Velma Hill sought to unionize NYC paraprofessionals, Bayard Rustin and A. PhilipRandolph gave her one clear directive: "Al Shanker is the person who can help you." Watch here.
4. The Movement Is Still Alive
Civil rights leader Velma Hill looks toward the future of labor and social justice in America. In this Shanker Institute book talk, Velma and Norman Hill join Randi Weingarten to discuss their memoir and the enduring struggle for dignity, power, and equality. Watch here.