Book Recommendation–Black Americans and Organized Labor:

I’ve just about finished reading historian Paul Moreno’s new book, Black Americans and Organized Labor: A New History. I’m reviewing the book for the Independent Review, and will post a link when it’s published. But for now, I want to strongly (but briefly) recommend the book. In the course of researching my book, Only One Place of Redress: African Americans, Labor Regulations and the Courts from Reconstruction to the New Deal, I read many books and articles on the topic of the relationship between blacks and labor unions. Moreno’s is by far better than anything available to me at that time, shattering many myths along the way.

Moreno’s book, near as I can tell, has received almost no attention thus far. Undoubtedly, it hasn’t helped matters that the book was scheduled to be published last Fall by LSU Press, and was delayed because of Katrina. And based on my own experiences trying to contact the press, LSU Press doesn’t seem to have its act together. So here’s hoping that V.C. readers with an interest in labor history, economic history, African-American history, or even American history in general will add Black Americans and Organized Labor to their summer reading list.