Knights of Labor Expels and Segregates Black Members Under White Pressure

By 1887, despite Powderly's nominal commitment to racial inclusion, the Knights of Labor permits Southern assemblies to expel Black members, refuse integrated meetings, and charter exclusively white locals in trades where Black workers previously worked. When Black members protest, Powderly mediates in favor of white members to preserve organizational cohesion. The pattern prefigures the AFL's practice of racial exclusion through craft autonomy.