First Fruits Of Freedom

A moving narrative that offers a rare glimpse into the lives of African American men, women, and children on the cusp of freedom, First Fruits of Freedom chronicles one of the first collective migrations of blacks from the South to the North during and after the Civil War. Janette Thomas Greenwood relates the history of a network forged between Worcester County, Massachusetts, and eastern North Carolina as a result of Worcester regiments taking control of northeastern North Carolina during the war. White soldiers from Worcester, a hotbed of abolitionism, protected refugee slaves, set up schools for them, and led them north at war's end. White patrons and a supportive black community helped many migrants fulfill their aspirations for complete emancipation and facilitated the arrival of additional family members and friends. Migrants established a small black community in Worcester with a distinctive southern flavor. But even in the North, white sympathy did not continue after the Civil War. Despite their many efforts, black Worcesterites were generally disappointed in their hopes for full-fledged citizenship, reflecting the larger national trajectory of Reconstruction and its aftermath.

Whether as slaves or freedmen, the political and social status of African Americans has always been tied to their ability to participate in the nation's economy. Freedom in the post–Civil War years did not guarantee equality, and African Americans from emancipation to the present have faced the seemingly insurmountable task of erasing pervasive public belief in the inferiority of their race. For Jobs and Freedom: Race and Labor in America since 1865 describes the African American struggle to obtain equal rights in the workplace and organized labor's response to their demands. Award-winning historian Robert H. Zieger asserts that the promise of jobs was similar to the forty-acres-and-a-mule restitution pledged to African Americans during the Reconstruction era. The inconsistencies between rhetoric and action encouraged workers, both men and women, to organize themselves into unions to fight against unfair hiring practices and workplace discrimination. Though the path proved difficult, unions gradually obtained rights for African American workers with prominent leaders at their fore. In 1925, A. Philip Randolph formed the first black union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, to fight against injustices committed by the Pullman Company, an employer of significant numbers of African Americans. The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) emerged in 1935, and its population quickly swelled to include over 500,000 African American workers. The most dramatic success came in the 1960s with the establishment of affirmative action programs, passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Title VII enforcement measures prohibiting employer discrimination based on race. Though racism and unfair hiring practices still exist today, motivated individuals and leaders of the labor movement in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries laid the groundwork for better conditions and greater opportunities. Unions, with some sixteen million members currently in their ranks, continue to protect workers against discrimination in the expanding economy. For Jobs and Freedom is the first authoritative treatment in more than two decades of the race and labor movement, and Zieger's comprehensive and authoritative book will be standard reading on the subject for years to come.

After I wrote my last book, The Importance of Christian Friendships: In Good Times and in Bad, I began to think about how many of the attributes of Christian friendships are grounded in faith. This is the same faith that leads us to believe in Gods promises. I dont know if you have ever tried to count how many promises there are in the Bible; they are almost impossible to numerate! Yet that did not dissuade me. I began to turn to the Bible and meditate on some of the more significant promises. Then I began to ask myself how my life would be different if I truly believed Gods promises? What if we all believed Gods promises and acted accordingly? I am convinced that if we have faith and believe in Gods holy nature, we can then accept that He is who He says He is. It is then just a short step to knowing that He will do what He says He will do, and we can trust in His promises. Gods promises are very precious. Not only do they remind us of His personal interest in our lives, but they provide us with hope and encouragement. I would also contend that accepting His promises turns religion from something that seems restrictive to something that is truly liberating. As you will read in the book, we can find freedom in Gods promises. We can find freedom from condemnation, freedom from want, freedom from fear, freedom from hopelessness, freedom from grief, and freedom from worry, just to name a few. I hope the reader will find renewed encouragement from this book and new faith in a faithful God.

"This book will help you achieve your dreams and goals if:You want to live life abundantlyYou desire to be financially secureYou would like a happy marriageYou plan to rear and educate childrenYou expect to help with your grandchildrenYou support your church and charitiesYou look forward to a comfortable retirementYou are looking for inner peace and financial freedomYou dream of living by the sea, in the mountains, or in the desertYou love to travel "--Publisher description.