A New Working Class: The Legacies of Public-Sector Employment in the Civil Rights Movement (Politics and Culture in Modern America)

An examination of the efforts by Black public-sector workers and their unions to fight for racial and economic justice in BaltimoreFor decades, civil rights activists fought against employment discrimination and for a greater role for African Americans in municipal decision-making.As their influence in city halls across the country increased, activists took advantage of the Great Society-and the government jobs it created on the local level-to advance their goals. A New Working Class traces efforts by Black public-sector workers and their unions to fight for racial and economic justice in Baltimore.The public sector became a critical job niche for Black workers, especially women, a largely unheralded achievement of the civil rights movement.A vocal contingent of Black public-sector workers pursued the activists' goals from their government posts and sought to increase and improve public services.They also fought for their rights as workers and won union representation.During an era oft