Overview
This captivating book takes readers on an illustrated tour of the black railroad experience from slavery to Amtrak. With almost 200 images-many never before published-Theodore Kornweibel, Jr., examines the significant contributions of African Americans to the building, maintenance, operation, and profitability of the American railway system. The history of American railroads, Kornweibel makes clear, cannot be separated from African American history. For over a century, railroading provided the most important industrial occupation for blacks. Brakemen, firemen, porters, chefs, mechanics, laborers-African American men and women have been essential to the daily operation and success of American railroads. The connections between railroads and African Americans extend well beyond employment. Civil rights protests beginning in the late 19th century challenged railroad segregation and job discrimination; the major waves of black migration to the North depended almost entirely on railroads; and railroad themes and imagery penetrated deep into black art, literature, drama, folklore, and music. Kornweibel's visual presentation of this rich history brings to life the hundreds of thousands of blacks who toiled for decades on America's great rail systems. Each chapter of text focuses on a different occupation or railroading experience, some peculiar to blacks. Together, the evocative images and the complementary essays supply a comprehensive and powerful survey of the social, cultural, political, and economic influence of African Americans on railroads and of railroads on the black community. Few today recall the importance of blacks to the American railroad industry, even though most black families have railroading ancestors. These stories of hardship and heroism, exploitation and endurance, anger and artistry illuminate a rich heritage and fascinating chapter in American history.
Full Product Details
Author: Theodore Kornweibel, Jr.
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 21.60cm
, Height: 3.40cm
, Length: 25.40cm
Weight: 1.882kg
ISBN: 9780801891625
ISBN 10: 0801891620
Pages: 568
Publication Date: 23 April 2010
Recommended Age: From 18
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: To order
Stock availability from the supplier is unknown. We will order it for you and ship this item to you once it is received by us.
Reviews
<p> Railroads in the African American Experience is a beautifully produced volume whose text and illustrations deserve to find a wide popular readership.--Eric Arnesen Journal of Illinois History (01/01/0001)
<p>The Kornweibel book is outstanding, describing and analyzing thoroughly and skillfully the black experience in American railroading... Kornweibel has also done an excellent job of collecting illustrations, adding much to his splendid narrative... The illustrations, however, are merely the icing on an already delicious cake.--H. Roger Grant Register of the Kentucky Historical Society (01/01/0001)
Author Information
Theodore Kornweibel, Jr., is a professor emeritus in African American history at San Diego State University and author of Investigate Everything: Federal Efforts to Compel Black Loyalty during World War I; Seeing Red: Federal Campaigns against Black Militancy, 1919-1925; and No Crystal Stair: Black Life and the Messenger , 1917-1928.
