Summary
A former prizefighter who became a giant among civil rights activists, Nate Smith picked a fight with Pittsburgh's predominantly white construction unions and ultimately won a battle that resulted in union jobs for blacks across the country.
"These union leaders were not pansies; he was challenging some tough guys," said former City Councilman Sala Udin, who demonstrated with Smith and other activists in the late 1960s. "Working with Nate required you to stiffen your backbone and be willing to take these guys on. And people lined up behind him by the thousands."See the full content of this document
Extract
Pittsburgh Activist Led Integration of Building Trade Unions
Smith died Thursday at Cedars Community Hospice in Monroeville after a long bout with dementia. He was 82.
"He lay down in front of a bulldozer," said Erica Peiffer, 28, producer of a documentary on Smith's life called "What Does Tr...See the full content of this document
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