Beatrice Lumpkin (August 3, 1918-June 14, 2026) was a union organizer, political activist, professor, writer, co-founder of the Coalition of Labor Union Woman (CLUW), and life-long member of the Communist Party, USA. A leader of the Chicago Teachers’ Union, Lumpkin was a tenured professor at Malcolm X College. She has written several books about history and mathematics, as well as a biography of her late Husband Frank Lumpkin (Always Bring a Crowd) and an autobiography, Joy In The Struggle.
After her passing, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson called Lumpkin “a towering figure in the labor movement, an unwavering advocate for fully-funded education, and a continued source of inspiration for us all.”
