The WPA History of the Negro in Pittsburgh
Laurence Glasco
(Author)
21,000+ Reviews
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Description
The monumental American Guide Series, published by the Federal Writers' Project, provided work to thousands of unemployed writers, editors, and researchers in the midst of the Great Depression. Funded by the Works Progress Administration and featuring books on states, cities, rivers, and ethnic groups, it also opened an unprecedented view into the lives of the American people during this time. Untold numbers of projects in progress were lost when the program was abruptly shut down by a hostile Congress in 1939. One of those, "The Negro in Pittsburgh," lay dormant in the Pennsylvania State Library until it was microfilmed in 1970. The WPA History of the Negro in Pittsburgh marked the first publication of this rich body of information. This unique historical study of the city's Black population, although never completed, features articles on civil rights, social class, lifestyle, culture, folklore, and institutions from colonial times through the 1930s. Editor Laurence A. Glasco's introduction and robust bibliography contextualizes the articles and offers a history on the manuscript itself, guiding contemporary readers through this remarkable work.
Product Details
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh Press |
| Publish Date | December 29, 2010 |
| Pages | 432 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Paperback / softback |
| EAN/UPC | 9780822961444 |
| Dimensions | 9.2 X 6.1 X 1.0 inches | 1.4 pounds |
About the Author
Laurence A. Glasco is associate professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh. He is the author of Ethnicity and Social Structure: Irish, Germans, and Native-Born of Buffalo, N.Y., 1850-1860 and coauthor of Legacy in Bricks and Mortar: African-American Landmarks in Allegheny County.
Reviews
A fascinating, and in many ways unique, perspective on the history of an African American community in the urban North.-- "Kenneth Kusmer, Temple University"
Never has a chronicle, which sweeps from Colonial times through the 1930s, gathered so much information in such a fashion. Much of it offers tender and heartbreaking details about how the Negro lived and dreamed in the old industrial city on the banks of three rivers. . . . Remarkable and certainly important to anyone who might care about the history of the Negro in Pittsburgh.-- "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
Not only tells the history of African Americans in Pittsburgh from the colonial era through the 1930s, but also exqisitely captures the perspective of the period in which it was created.-- "Pennsylvania Heritage"
Offers the most comprehensive single study of the city's black population to date. . . . Glasco's introduction pinpoints the strengths and weaknesses in the manuscript, offers brilliant biographical notes on its principal contributors, and places the manuscript within the broader historical context of the New Deal.-- "Joe W. Trotter, Carnegie Mellon University"
This book is a treasure trove of information for persons interested in more than the bland partial synopsis of American history that is taught in most public schools. . . . The entire book is a must read for American historians, genealogists, folklorists, musicologists, and others. . . . Highly recommended!-- "Western PA Genealogical Society Quarterly"
What an absorbing, engaging, from-the-bottom-up history of African descendants in Pittsburgh! It is a history with imagery, joy, disappointment, hope, vision, and, of course, voice--a story of a people told by the people. The editor has made a masterstroke with the use of research results and analysis from the 'Negro in Pittsburgh' study from the Depression-era Federal Writers' Project.-- "Multicultural Review"
While much work remains to be done to explore the African American experience in Pittsburgh, this volume provides readers with information as well as an opportunity to reenter another time and place. . . . Recommended. All levels/libraries.-- "Choice"
Never has a chronicle, which sweeps from Colonial times through the 1930s, gathered so much information in such a fashion. Much of it offers tender and heartbreaking details about how the Negro lived and dreamed in the old industrial city on the banks of three rivers. . . . Remarkable and certainly important to anyone who might care about the history of the Negro in Pittsburgh.-- "Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"
Not only tells the history of African Americans in Pittsburgh from the colonial era through the 1930s, but also exqisitely captures the perspective of the period in which it was created.-- "Pennsylvania Heritage"
Offers the most comprehensive single study of the city's black population to date. . . . Glasco's introduction pinpoints the strengths and weaknesses in the manuscript, offers brilliant biographical notes on its principal contributors, and places the manuscript within the broader historical context of the New Deal.-- "Joe W. Trotter, Carnegie Mellon University"
This book is a treasure trove of information for persons interested in more than the bland partial synopsis of American history that is taught in most public schools. . . . The entire book is a must read for American historians, genealogists, folklorists, musicologists, and others. . . . Highly recommended!-- "Western PA Genealogical Society Quarterly"
What an absorbing, engaging, from-the-bottom-up history of African descendants in Pittsburgh! It is a history with imagery, joy, disappointment, hope, vision, and, of course, voice--a story of a people told by the people. The editor has made a masterstroke with the use of research results and analysis from the 'Negro in Pittsburgh' study from the Depression-era Federal Writers' Project.-- "Multicultural Review"
While much work remains to be done to explore the African American experience in Pittsburgh, this volume provides readers with information as well as an opportunity to reenter another time and place. . . . Recommended. All levels/libraries.-- "Choice"
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