Exhibition Script - Museum on Main Street

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The Way We Worked scriptIn 1950, more African Americans worked in blue-collar jobs than in agriculture. Theyowned their own businesses, and developed vibrant, urban communities. By 1970, fivemillion African Americans had moved north or west.“There can be no solidarity if one is considered a Black worker andanother a White worker. We should be considered just a worker.”--A. Philip Randolph, civil rights pioneer, 1935PAVING THE WAYPullman Palace Car employed more African Americans than any other company.Working as porters on passenger trains, they put in long hours with little rest, butbecame the base of an African American middle class. Members of theBrotherhood of Pullman Porters, like A. Philip Randolph, became communityleaders and civil rights activists. They helped pave the way for all minorities inprofessional fields.Porters in Erie Railroad lounge car, ca. 1949.--National Archives,Records of the U.S. Information Agency, Erie Railroad CompanyphotographJournalist Ted Poston led the Office of War Information Negro PressSection and advised President Roosevelt, Washington, D.C., ca.1941.--National Archives, Records of the Office of War InformationMIGRANT WORKMillions of Americans live hard, unsettled lives as migrant workers. Agriculturalworkers move constantly with the seasons to harvest crops.Mexican farm worker in lettuce field, Blythe, California,--by Charles O’Rear, May 1972.National Archives, Records of the Environmental Protection AgencyFAMILY FARMSFamily farms are icons of independence. For new immigrants, owning a farm was afoothold in a new country. For many children, farm life defined the American work ethic.Some farmers struggled as agriculture grew focused on expensive technology andconsolidation. Many left agriculture, but the family farms that remain are important for theeconomy and sustainability.Children feeding pigs, Beltsville, Maryland, ca. August 1973.--U.S. Department of AgricultureHerbert Allen works with his son Trentis on the Allen family farm,Humphreys County, Mississippi, June 1996.--U.S. Department of Agriculture26
The Way We Worked script“Part of the challenge of being a farmer and self-employed isyou . . . have to know a little bit about everything, being a ‘Jack-ofall-trades’. . . ”--Michael Mann, fifth-generation farmer from Boykins, VirginiaInterview, <strong>Museum</strong> on Main Street, 2011[Interactive farmer hat]Pat and Sharon O’Toole planned to attend law school, but decidedinstead to carry on the legacy of the ranch that their family has owned formore than a hundred years. The ranch became their life’s work, and theyintend to pass it on to their two children.Pat: “We’re very blessed to have children that ‘get it.’ They’ve beenworking since they were old enough to hold a branding iron.”Sharon: “It’s just a wonderful piece of landscape, and it’s ourresponsibility and privilege to work on it and try to keep it going.”--Interview, <strong>Museum</strong> on Main Street, 2009Farmer in Shelby County, Iowa,--by Irving Rusinow, ca. May 1941.National Archives, Records of the Bureau of Agricultural EconomicsAT ANY AGEWe work a lot and for a long time. Some of us start at very young ages in a familybusiness—feeding animals on a farm, setting silverware in a diner, or lending a hand ina store. Others start as teenagers with summer jobs or internships.Americans are working longer today even than just a generation ago.WORK NEVER STOPSAmericans are no strangers to “burning the midnight oil.” Factories, businesses,and mines operate around the clock in shifts. Tasks completed at night or early inthe morning help keep daytime workers going without missing a beat.G.E. Mitchell works overtime at night, Washington, D.C.,--by Joseph O’Donnell, September 1949.National Archives, Records of the U.S. Information AgencyEarly morning delivery to E&A Soul Food Restaurant, Paterson, NewJersey,--by Susan Levitas, August 1994.Library of CongressWORK HARD, GET AHEADThis Office of War Information poster from World War II promotes the spirit of anAmerican work ethic: hard work will protect our freedoms.Poster, “This Is America, Keep It Free.”--National Archives, Records of the Office for EmergencyManagement, Office of War Information27
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