Bolden was a life-long domestic worker and extremely proud of her profession. She often spoke highly of this labor and was quoted in a supplement to The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution in 1983 as saying "A domestic worker is a counselor, a doctor, a nurse. She cares about the family she works for as she cares about her own." But domestic workers "have never been recognized as part of the labor force." Bolden became an activist well before the re-emergence of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. In the late 1940s, Bolden refused a request from her boss, a white woman, to stay late and wash the dishes. Her boss alerted local police, who responded by taking her to a county jail for a psychiatric evaluation. In an oral history interview from 1995, Bolden recalled the severity of the incident. "They told me I was crazy because I had talked back to a white woman, and called in some psychiatrists to prove it," said Bolden. "A white woman’s word was gospel, and two psychiatrists actually thought I was crazy… This was the way you got locked up…This was the system." Women were able to open up to Bolden about their experiences as domestic workers. Life for domestic workers was very challenging. During the 1960s, domestic workers endured 13 hour workdays and received as little as $3.50. Bolden eventually gathered 13,000 women from ten different cities, benefiting from job referrals and organizations. The union helped to increase wages and working conditions for domestic workers. Also members were taught how to work out problems with their employers. Under her leadership, the National Domestic Worker's Union fundamentally influenced the treatment of domestic workers. Bolden was central to actions that increased Atlanta wages by 33% over two years and won workers' compensation and
Social Security rights for all domestic workers. Bolden was also responsible for registering thousands of African Americans to vote. Her work improved the living conditions of many residents throughout Atlanta. Bolden's efforts gained the attention of the
Nixon Administration and she was appointed to an advisory committee on social services and welfare. == Personal life ==