HIS267 Reading Note 8
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HIS267
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History
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Feb 20, 2024
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Reading Note 8
Topic: Black Labour and Capitalist Markets: Little Burgundy What is the main argument or thesis of the work?
The mistreatment of Black porters and the vitality of a community What are the most significant arguments that support the thesis?
Point 1:
From the reading Little Burgundy: The Interwoven Histories of Race, Residence, and Work in Twentieth-Century, Montreal takes on a more personal perspective on what working and living as a black person during the 20th century in Montreal, Quebec, looking at the experiences of Charles Burke Living in Little Burgundy (a black-situated neighbourhood between 2 major railroad stations). Being a porter was the only available job in the area that would pay enough to support a household at the time. It was the only job that a black man could get. Thus, making this position crucial for their survival, these jobs did not pay well to their black porters, but the black workers here were highly educated from black colleges in the US. These men and their families established clubs and organizations that became significant parts of
their communities before the 1960s. Their community and members were so strongly intertwined
that they created their union to fight for black porters' rights against the city railroad companies. They demanded better working conditions, the ability to move up within their field and better wages, much to the dismay of white train porters and their own CPR unions.
Concepts/Themes:
Racism within the workforce
Unions and community building The connection between Black porters and the railways What is the principal means by which the author establishes the thesis & supporting arguments? (For example: What types of primary and secondary sources were used? What were the author's primary research and analytical methodologies? What is the relationship between the author's arguments and the sources used? What key definitions does the author utilize?)
Point 2:
Little Burgundy used first-hand accounts (a primary source) of Black porters and their families to
discuss their lives and struggles as porters and how they were able to build a community to create unions needed to protest for their right to fair and equal wages and safer working conditions (highly the importance of unity among themselves for the greater good). Point 3:
What does the work promise to achieve? Does the author succeed? Why or why not? Were the author's goals, in fact, valid and valuable? (For example: Is it a work of broad synthesis that pulls
together an expansive subject, or is it a specialized research monograph?)
Little Burgundy focused on trying to counteract the problem (in this case, the working conditions
and challenges faced by black porters within the railroad industry). The Little Burgundy paper did this better using first-hand accounts from black porters and their families by showing what they went through and how they, as a community, came together to fight for and actively support
their black porters. This paper highlighted the importance of community for Black porters. Point 4:
How is this work connected with other scholarship? (How can I discuss this work with other works and answer questions such as: What is its relationship to other works in the field? How is this work like and different from others? What was the state of scholarship when it was written, and how did the author's milieu shape it? What main influences shaped the author's research and thinking?)
Point 5:
The “Little Burgundy” paper showed how vital community is to make a difference for minority groups. It highlights how important the community is, which many immigrants may not have when they arrive here in Canada, and it can make or break their survival here. My mother had a community to rely on as an immigrant. She was able to continue her education and find work and
opportunities to better herself as a young adult in a new country while still being connected to her people and culture. Even with the challenges she faced as an immigrant and a black woman, she had a community to fall back on. Like the black porters of Little Burgundy Point 6:
What is this work’s contribution to the field? (For example: Was it a path-breaking book, or does
it build on a body of established research? Was there anything new about the sources or the analytical approach when it was written? What is my assessment of the work’s merits?)
Point 7:
Little Burgundy especially highlighted the importance of community for minorities, showing how vital community is to the success of minority groups who are not wanted or welcomed by the majority.
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Critical Assessment: (Is this an excellent example of research or reflection on the history of education? Why or why not? What is the contribution to the field? Is anything left out?)
Point 8:
Both are good examples of research, but “Little Burgundy” highlights the root of history. Community is vital. It is how we grow and learn. How we find work and opportunities for all ages, races, and genders. Community allows groups to rally together and voice their dis-
stratifications within their city. Reflections/Questions:
Were black porters and railroad workers adequately compensated for the business lost due to the mistreatment they faced by their white co-workers?