Drawing on scores of interviews with black and white tobacco workers in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Robert Korstad brings to life the forgotten heroes of Local 22 of the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural and Allied Workers of America-CIO. These workers confronted a system of racial capitalism that consigned African Americans to the basest jobs in the industry, perpetuated low wages for all southerners, and shored up white supremacy. Galvanized by the emergence of the CIO, African Americans took the lead in a campaign that saw a strong labor movement and the reenfranchisement of the southern poor as keys to reforming the South--and a reformed South as central to the survival and expansion of the New Deal. In the window of opportunity opened by World War II, they blurred the boundaries between home and work as they linked civil rights and labor rights in a bid for justice at work and in the public sphere. But civil rights unionism foundered in the maelstrom of the Cold War. Its defeat undermined later efforts by civil rights activists to raise issues of economic equality to the moral high ground occupied by the fight against legalized segregation and, Korstad contends, constrains the prospects for justice and democracy today.

"Building anti-racist companies by design creates great places to work for all. Business leaders who are ready to take a bold stance to make the world better for their employees, consumers, and community: read this book. This book is not apolitical. This book is explicitly anti-racist. This book takes the stance that Black Lives Matter, LGBTQIA rights are human rights, people of all abilities deserve respect and access, and people of all genders have the right to sovereignty over their identities. This book acknowledges that capitalism is built on a foundation of systemic racism. Business leaders, you hold an important position in the power structure, and you have the unique ability to reach thousands of employees and millions of consumers with your leadership. It's time for you to build a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. This book is the comprehensive plan for leaders who are ready to get serious about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and creating an anti-racist company culture. Transformational leader James D. White has gained a deep understanding of how to operationalize and integrate DEI agendas as a leader with 30 years of experience at large companies. and as his lived experience as a Black man at that highest levels of corporate America. Most recently he was CEO and Chairman of the global smoothie chain Jamba Juice, where he led a remarkable turnaround to make it a model of strong performance built on a foundation of a deeply diverse, anti-racist culture. And he draws on the experiences of other leaders on the vanguard of DEI. Practical lessons and real-world examples of techniques used by best practitioners will empower leaders who are asking themselves at this urgent moment what so many have asked White: What can I do? Read this book"--