{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://clyburn.house.gov/clyburn-statement-on-charleston-cigar-factory-designated-as-national-historic-landmark/", "Clyburn Statement On Charleston Cigar Factory Designated As National Historic Landmark", "2024-12-18", "2024", "2024-12", "Democrat", "House", "SC", "James E. Clyburn", "C000537", "clyburn.house.gov", "clyburn", "https://clyburn.house.gov/press-releases/", "scraper", "Secretary Haaland announced five new National Historic Landmarks, DOI\u2019s highest recognition of a property\u2019s historical, architectural, or archeological significance.\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) celebrated the announcement of the Charleston Cigar Factory designated as a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. This new landmark, historically known as the American Cigar Company Building, will recognize the site where cigar factory workers \u2013 led by Black women \u2013 went on strike for better pay and working conditions, and against gender and racial discrimination on the job. The Biden-Harris Administration has invested more than $40 million to restore and support sites that recognize and elevate the stories of women who have shaped American history.\n\n\u201cDocumenting and preserving the enduring legacy of civil rights could not be more paramount,\u201d said Congressman James E. Clyburn. \u201cThe announcement of the Charleston Cigar Factory as a national landmark marks the conservation of a powerful history of Black women, forging a labor strike against discrimination, inadequate pay, and poor health benefits. The 1945 Charleston Cigar Factory Strike makes clear \u2013 those Black women who organized and collectively bargained, could not be silenced. This landmark will teach future generations of South Carolinians that no matter who you are, you stand on the shoulders of people who sought courage and determination to make a difference. You stand on the site of a great, historic, and extraordinary movement. It is a surprise to many that the iconic civil rights song, \u201cWe Shall Overcome,\u201d which was popularized during the sixties \u2013 has its roots in this event.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs America\u2019s storyteller, it is our privilege at the Department of the Interior, through the National Park Service, to tell our nation\u2019s history and honor the many historical chapters and heroic communities that brought us to where we all are today,\u201d said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. \u201cThese newly designated historic landmarks \u2013 including Charleston Cigar Factory \u2014 join a list of the nation\u2019s premier historic and cultural places, all of which were nominated through voluntary and locally led stewardship.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are honored by the designation of the Cigar Factory as a National Historic Landmark,\u201d said Lucile Cogswell & Jay Weaver, Cigar Factory Partners. \u201cThis building represents the bravery and resilience of workers who fought for fair wages, better conditions, and racial equality. Their actions shaped both labor and civil rights movements, and we are proud to help preserve this important piece of history for future generations.\u201d\n\nAs directed by President Biden, DOI is releasing a new report on representation of women across sites of national importance, including National Historic Landmarks, national monuments, and national park sites. The report assesses which existing federal sites are significant to women\u2019s history and offers opportunities to improve the recognition of women\u2019s contributions to our country across the National Park Service, including through the National Historic Landmark program.\n\nThe Cigar Factory was constructed in 1881 as a cotton manufacturing facility with the latest technological advances of the day, such as electricity, steam heat and a fire safety system. The Charleston Cigar Factory Strike lasted for five months, from October 22, 1945 to April 1, 1946. The strike resulted from the company refusing to institute raises and racial discrimination. In response, more than 1,000 Cigar Factory employees, walked off their jobs on October 22, 1945, a majority of whom were African American women. Activists in Charleston specifically demanded a pay increase of 25 cents per hour and the ability to unionize to protect their civil rights.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:07:19Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://clyburn.house.gov/clyburn-statement-on-charleston-cigar-factory-designated-as-national-historic-landmark/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8038708474487066, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}