World War II was a watershed moment for black Americans, when black employment in the Chicago area grew from 80,347 to 222,600 -- an increase from 4.9% to 11.7% of the total (at a time when the black population increased from 7.1 to 9.4 percent of the total population). This paper shows that the local fight for fair employment -- a principal goal of the “Double V” campaign for victory over fascism abroad and racism at home -- not only energized black Americans’ civil rights consciousness, but also invigorated and revised “race conscious” economic nationalism in the Black Metropolis.

All papers are pre-circulated electronically to those who plan to attend the seminar in person. For a copy of the paper, e-mail Jenny Butler at scholl@newberry.org, or call 312-255-3524. Please do not request a paper unless you plan to attend.

http://www.newberry.org/scholl/schollhome.html

The Newberry Library Seminar in Labor History is co-sponsored by the History Department of the University of Illinois at Chicago, Northern Illinois University, Northwestern University and the Labor and Working Class History Association