THE DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR THE BLACK EXPERIENCE
Search Results
Richard G. Womack
Maker interview details
Interview
- June 29, 2005
Profession
- Category:
CivicMakers
- Occupation(s):
Executive Assistant
Association Chief Executive
Birthplace
- Born: November 18, 1939
- Birth Location: Danville, Virginia
Favorites
- Favorite Color: Blue
- Favorite Food: Salmon
- Favorite Time of Year: Fall, Spring
- Favorite Vacation Spot: Nature
Biography
Richard Gilbert Womack, assistant to American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President John Sweeney, was born on November 18, 1939, in Danville, Virginia. Soon after his birth, Womack moved with his parents, Louise Patrick and Gilbert Womack, to Darby Township outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended public school, graduating from Darby High School in 1957. After graduation, Womack served in the United States Army in Fort Lee, Virginia, and in 1962, took a job with Reynolds Aluminum that ultimately launched his career with the AFL-CIO.
Womack performed various functions within the AFL-CIO, including holding a position as assistant director of the Human Resources Development Institute in 1971, and serving as director of the Department of Civil Rights in 1986. In 2003, Womack became the assistant to the AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, advising him on civil, human, and women's rights, immigration issues, and overseeing outreach to community and religious organizations.
While serving the AFL-CIO, Womack also served as a member of the NAACP's Board of Directors, chairing the National Board of Director's Labor Committee; Chairman of the Board of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; and as the acting executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. Womack received a presidential appointment in January of 1996 to the board of the Federal Prison Industries.
Previews from the Digital Archive
Watch the full interview in the Digital Archive
- Slating of Richard G. Womack's interview
- Richard G. Womack lists his favorites
- Richard G. Womack describes his mother's side of the family
- Richard G. Womack describes his father's side of the family and Rifeville, Virginia
- Richard G. Womack remembers instances of segregation
- Richard G. Womack describes his father's experiences in the South
- Richard G. Womack describes his father, his aunt and his siblings
- Richard G. Womack describes his earliest childhood memories
- Richard G. Womack describes the sights, sounds and smells of growing up, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack describes the sights, sounds and smells of growing up, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack describes Darby Township High School, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack describes Darby Township High School, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack remembers Darby Township School
- Richard G. Womack describes his extracurricular activities
- Richard G. Womack recalls playing sports at Darby Township High School
- Richard G. Womack recalls his courses at Darby Township High School
- Richard G. Womack remembers graduating from Darby Township High School
- Richard G. Womack recalls playing sports during his U.S. Army service at Fort Lee, Virginia
- Richard G. Womack remembers being AWOL from the U.S. Army
- Richard G. Womack recalls racial discrimination in the U.S. Army
- Richard G. Womack remembers delisting from the U.S. Army
- Richard G. Womack remembers being hired by Reynolds Metals Company
- Richard G. Womack recalls becoming involved in the Reynolds Metals Company union
- Richard G. Womack recalls running for president of the Delaware County AFL-CIO
- Richard G. Womack talks about attendance at local AFL-CIO meetings
- Richard G. Womack talks about political participation, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack talks about political participation, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack talks about African Americans' exclusion from unions
- Richard G. Womack describes the importance of African Americans' union involvement
- Richard G. Womack describes his Reynolds Metals Company union work, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack describes his Reynolds Metals Company union work, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack describes his mid-1960s career trajectory, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack describes his mid-1960s career trajectory, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack remembers meeting Frederick O'Neal and C. L. Dellums
- Richard G. Womack describes AFL-CIO's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack recalls the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization's 1981 strike
- Richard G. Womack describes the history of the labor movement, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack describes the history of the labor movement, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack describes the labor movement's role in South Africa
- Richard G. Womack recalls representing the AFL-CIO in South Africa
- Richard G. Womack describes his AFL-CIO work with the Cleveland firefighters
- Richard G. Womack recalls mediating for the international firefighters' unions, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack recalls mediating for the international firefighters' unions, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack recalls mediating for the international firefighters' unions, pt. 3
- Richard G. Womack describes AFL-CIO's involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack describes his role as assistant to the president of AFL-CIO
- Richard G. Womack talks about the current labor movement and its future
- Richard G. Womack describes his hopes and concerns for the African American community
- Richard G. Womack reflects upon his life
- Richard G. Womack reflects upon his legacy
- Richard G. Womack describes his family
- Richard G. Womack describes the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, pt. 1
- Richard G. Womack describes the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, pt. 2
- Richard G. Womack describes his NAACP board service
- Richard G. Womack describes his Federal Bureau of Prisons board service
- Richard G. Womack describes how he would like to be remembered