African American Workers and the Appalachian Coal Industry

by Joe William Trotter Jr.

Essays by the foremost labor historian of the Black experience in the Appalachian coalfields.

This collection brings together nearly three decades of research on the African American experience, class, and race relations in the Appalachian coal industry. It shows how, with deep roots in the antebellum era of chattel slavery, West Virginia’s Black working class gradually picked up steam during the emancipation years following the Civil War and dramatically expanded during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

From there, African American Workers and the Appalachian Coal Industry highlights the decline of the region’s Black industrial proletariat under the impact of rapid technological, social, and political changes following World War II. It underscores how all miners suffered unemployment and outmigration from the region as global transformations took their toll on the coal industry, but emphasizes the disproportionately painful impact of declining bituminous coal production on African American workers, their families, and their communities. Joe Trotter not only reiterates the contributions of proletarianization to our knowledge of US labor and working-class history but also draws attention to the gender limits of studies of Black life that focus on class formation, while calling for new transnational perspectives on the subject. Equally important, this volume illuminates the intellectual journey of a noted labor historian with deep family roots in the southern Appalachian coalfields.

Genres: History

176 pages, Hardcover

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Reese Gaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. For being relatively short this book covers many aspects of life in the Black West Virginia coal community. Intraracial class conflict and cooperation, religious life, intellectual life, work life and relationship with organized labor, interracial conflict and collaboration with whites and recent immigrants, etc etc. Also does an excellent job covering Black women's role in the economy and family. All around a great read. Very dense and occasionally a little repetitive but well worth the read.

[Rebecca Montague · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a look at the history of African American workers in the coal mining industry, as the title suggests. Looking mostly at West Virginia and the unique ways that African American and immigrant workers were included in the regions unions and politics. With this being a relatively short read (only about 96/156 pages is the content, the remainder is the works cited etc.) this is definitely just an overview of the topic and perhaps a good introduction. The author does note in the preface his hope that this will inspire others to study this group and time more thoroughly. The book did feel a bit repetitive at times given that the same information would be repeated in each chapter. The chapters, according to the preface, were each viewed as their own independent essay, though there was a clear order and connection to the works.
Overall a good and informative read! Well worth checking out!

[Kat Ramkumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who knows me knows that I have not shut up about Appalachia since I've been back and this book only fed fuel to the fire. I appreciate Trotter's emphasis about intersectionality and this book helped me identify research gaps for future studies.