American Dream Deferred : Black Federal Workers in Washington, D.C., 1941-1981 / Frederick W. Gooding Jr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gooding, F. W., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Discrimination in employment--Washington (D.C.)--History--20th century.

Discrimination in employment.

African Americans--Employment--Washington (D.C.)--History--20th century.

African Americans.

African Americans in the civil service--Washington (D.C.)--History--20th century.

African Americans in the civil service.

United States--Race relations--History--20th century.

United States.

Washington (D.C.)--Race relations--History--20th century.

Washington (D.C.).

United States--Officials and employees--Washington (D.C.)--History--20th century.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (ix, 245 pages) : illustrations

Place of Publication:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania : University of Pittsburgh Press, [2018]

Summary:

"As the largest employer of one of the world's leading economic and geo-political superpowers, the history of the federal government's workforce is a rich and essential tool for understanding how the 'Great Experiment' truly works. The literal face of federal policy, federal employees enjoy a history as rich as the country itself, while reflecting the country's evolution towards true democracy within a public space. Nowhere is this progression towards democracy more apparent than with its internal race relations. While World War II was a boon to black workers, little is known about the nuanced, ongoing struggles for dignity and respect that black workers endured while working these 'good, government jobs.' American Dream Deferred challenges postwar narratives of government largess for African Americans by illuminating the neglected stories of these unknown black workers"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction: Painting the picture of black federal workers

"Boy! Look at all these government girls!" : black opportunity in the nation's capital, 1941-1945

"Study long, study wrong" : achievements and limits of commissions studying discrimination in the federal workforce, 1945-1947

"This is not working" : white resistance to black persistence, 1948-1959

"Rats! Discriminated again" : Julius Hobson and the rising civil rights movement, 1960-1969

"I was hurting" : blacks in government on the mend, 1970-1981

Epilogue: A moving picture of black workers, 1980-1981.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-240) and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780822986256

0822986256

OCLC:

1132682052