Day 7: Remembering Local History during Black History Month Velma Hopkins was a tireless civil rights advocate. She worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company as a tobacco stemmer in the harsh warehouse conditions of the 1940s, earning less than 17% of her male counterparts. In 1943, after a fellow worker’s death, Hopkins and others organized a month-long picketed strike. The strike resulted in the formation of a union known as Local 22, which negotiated for pay raises, equity… and improved working conditions. Hopkins continued to spend her life advocating for equality and desegregation and inspired a generation of activists. The Depot Street Renaissance mural by Leo Rucker represents the contributions of just a few of the many individuals, businesses and institutions that made the neighborhood that is now the Innovation Quarter a prestigious community and a thriving hub of Black enterprise. Visit the mural on 7th Street between Research Pkwy and Vine St: https://bit.ly/3GJGIYh #blackhistorymonth2022 #bhm #BHM2022 #blm #blackhistoryisamericanhistory #blacklivesmatter #blm #blackhistory #history Photo credit: Winston-Salem Journal | JournalNow