Both sides of the tracks: Louisville and Nashville Railroad's African-American workers in Louisville, Kentucky, 1915--1945.

摘要

This study investigates the at work and at home experiences of Louisville and Nashville Railroad's (L&NRR) African-American workers who lived in Louisville, Kentucky from the early to the mid-twentieth century. Typically restricted to the least desirable positions, these black railroaders were a valuable part of the company's labor supply. As Louisville citizens, they often participated in the African-American community's efforts to end racial inequality. Because Louisville and the L&NRR recognized their importance in these two contexts, Louisville's African-American L&NRR workers experienced a complex interplay of strategies by the city and company to maintain amenable race relations yet white control. Contributing to this dynamic was L&NRR's influence as the city's largest employer and Louisville's attempts to avoid the stereotypical racial exploitation of the southern region. Despite the city's noted absence of racial violence and the availability of railroad work, Louisville's African-American L&NRR employees were not content with their living and working conditions. Rather, they challenged job and civic concerns through organizational support within their home communities. Thus, the multifaceted ways in which Louisville's African-American L&NRR workers protected their interests is also revealed.