Her efforts in fighting for higher pay and fair treatment made her a leader within the African American community of Winston-Salem.

[1] Conditions at the company were harsh for those in lower paying jobs: Black employees worked in segregated areas with oppressive heat and dangerous tobacco dust.

[4] In 1944 Hopkins threw a switch cutting off power to all the machines at her plant, beginning a strike protesting low pay, long hours, and poor working conditions.

[1] The union's efforts gained national attention: Woody Guthrie and Paul Robeson both visited Winston-Salem to support Local 22.

[5][9] Hopkins's labor work made her a leader in the local Black community, and she continued her efforts fighting for civil liberties for African Americans.

[1] Hopkin's efforts in fighting for fair wages for thousands of Reynolds employees helped establish Winston-Salem's African American middle class community, leading the way to further strides forward in the emerging civil rights movement.