As African American women left slavery and the plantation economy behind, many entered domestic service in southern cities and towns. Cooking was one of the primary jobs they performed in white employers' homes, feeding generations of white families and, in the process, profoundly shaping southern foodways and culture. Rebecca Sharpless argues that, in the face of discrimination, long workdays, and low wages, African American cooks worked to assert measures of control over their own lives and to maintain spaces for their own families despite the demands of employers and the restrictions of segregation. Sharpless also shows how these women's employment served as a bridge from old labor arrangements to new ones. As opportunities expanded in the twentieth century, most African American women chose to leave cooking for more lucrative and less oppressive manufacturing, clerical, or professional positions. Through letters, autobiography, and oral history, this book evokes Afr
Rebecca A Sharpless Libri
Il lavoro accademico di Rebecca Sharpless approfondisce la storia americana, con un'enfasi particolare su donne, lavoro, cibo e la storia del Texas. I suoi acuti articoli sono apparsi su importanti riviste storiche, contribuendo in modo significativo al campo. Avendo ricoperto la carica di presidente sia della Southern Association for Women Historians che della Oral History Association, ha dimostrato una notevole leadership nella ricerca storica. La sua ricerca offre una comprensione più profonda di aspetti cruciali della storia americana e meridionale.
