We, Too, Are Americans

We, Too, Are Americans
 Megan Taylor Shockley
Copyright 2003



Caveat:  I am friends with Megan, so this "review" holds little merit, other than to record that I read the book.  :) I am a dork...  I will read historical non-fiction for the pure thrill of it all.  So it helps to have friends in high places.

We, Too, Are Americans discusses the organization of African American women to improve their socioeconomic status during WWII, specifically in Richmond, VA and Detroit, MI.  It helps the reader to create a picture of race relations in the 1940's by contrasting two cities on opposing sides of the Mason-Dixon Line.

A well written and thorough treatise, the book explores an oft-forgotten segment of social history.  Many people, myself included, were unaware of the efforts of middle class African American Women to minimize the the inequalities between blacks and whites during the Jim Crowe Era.  But logically it was the ideal time to strike: America was in crisis and African Americans were working as hard on America's behalf.  For their effort, middle class black women lobbied for jobs and improved conditions through organizations such as sororities and other social groups.  Shockley's research shows how the stage was set for the Civil Rights Movement on the foundation created by the groups.