Why read Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow?

Book cover of Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work, and the Family, from Slavery to the Present

Book description

The forces that shaped the institution of slavery in the American South endured, albeit in altered form, long after slavery was abolished. Toiling in sweltering Virginia tobacco factories or in the kitchens of white families in Chicago, black women felt a stultifying combination of racial discrimination and sexual prejudice. And…

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American history

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Why read it?

1 author picked Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Cecilia Morgan

Author

I knew about the history of enslaved people and the institution of slavery in the Americas. Still, until I read Jones’ book, I did not appreciate how slavery affected African-American women’s lives in so many different ways, even after the institution itself formally ended.

I also gained a new understanding of their bravery, ingenuity, persistence, and contributions to their communities and American society more generally. Jones tells their stories with empathy and great wisdom, shattering stereotypes and insisting that we pay attention to these women and their lives.

From Cecilia's list on The best books in social and women’s history.