Workers on arrival : black labor in the making of America / Joe William Trotter, Jr.

"George Gund Foundation imprint in African American studies."

Prologue : Foregrounding the Black worker -- Part 1. Preindustrial beginnings : Genesis of the Black working class -- Building the early community -- Prelude to the modern age -- Part 2. The twentieth century : The industrial working class -- African American workers organize -- Demolition of the old Jim Crow order -- Demise of the industrial working class -- Epilogue : Facing the new global capitalist economy -- Appendix : Interpreting the African American working-class experience, an essay on sources.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"From the ongoing issues of poverty, health, housing and employment to the recent upsurge of lethal police-community relations, the black working class stands at the center of perceptions of social and racial conflict today. Journalists and public policy analysts often discuss the black poor as 'consumers' rather than 'producers,' as 'takers' rather than 'givers,' and as 'liabilities' instead of 'assets.' In his engrossing new history, Workers on Arrival, Joe William Trotter, Jr. refutes these perceptions by charting the black working class's vast contributions to the making of America. Covering the last four hundred years since Africans were first brought to Virginia in 1619, Trotter traces black workers' complicated journey from the transatlantic slave trade through the American Century to the demise of the industrial order in the 21st century. At the center of this compelling, fast-paced narrative are the actual experiences of these African American men and women. A dynamic and vital history of remarkable contributions despite repeated setbacks, Workers on Arrival expands our understanding of America's economic and industrial growth, its cities, ideas, and institutions, and the real challenges confronting black urban communities today"--Provided by publisher.

Online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on January 22, 2019).

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