Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company

It began operation in 1917, and expanded dramatically during World War II; with 30,000 workers, including numerous African Americans and women, it became the largest employer in the southern part of the state.

During World War II, the facility was primarily tasked for production of the Liberty ships, but wartime losses caused a shift to repair of tanker vessels.

In order to settle the riot, federal, city, union and NAACP leaders agreed to four segregated shipways, where African Americans could occupy all positions.

Although racial tensions were addressed repeatedly by both management and trade unions, a small race riot erupted and forced temporary closing of the yard.

[7][1] On March 1, 2018, the parent company for the shipyard, BAE Systems, announced it was going to close the yard permanently when all ongoing projects there were completed.

[8] These promotions changed the Alabama dry docks forever, they were made following directives from President Roosevelt's Fair Employment Practices Committee ordering the elevation of African Americans to skilled positions.

[9] This had been pushed for years by the NAACP and by local Black leaders, however, even after being ordered by the committee, ADDSCO was still reluctant to do it.

[12] When they finished their shift at Pinto Island,[8] they were met by a mob of white shipyard workers who were armed with clubs, pipes, and many other dangerous weapons.

[14] All African American workers at the plant were sent home even after the situation was “under control” and some were ordered by the company to leave the job.

And in their cars, they'd have monkey wrenches and tire irons and stuff like that.” All of this violence lead to segregated shipways.

The company, in response to the white workers complaints, created four separate shipways where blacks were free to hold every kind of position - except foreman.

The newspaper explained that Hitler boasts in his book, Mein Kamps, that he can completely disrupt America's industrial production, and he can if Americans allow their passions to become prey to the insidious poison of racial hatreds.

[10] This caused great anger among the African American community because they risked their lives in the fight for freedom, to return to their home country where they are not treated with equality.

Many of the workers requested for a release of their war frozen jobs on the docks, but they were treated the applications as if they were from the week prior.

[17] African Americans were seeking a release from their jobs on the docks, and were not given the proper treatment from the area director for the war manpower commission.

The actions which occurred in Mobile Alabama sparked a whole bunch of racial confrontations in industrial areas all over the country.