Tera W. Hunter (Books)

Tera W. Hunter Books

Tera W. Hunter is a distinguished historian whose work delves into the complexities of American history, particularly focusing on the experiences of African Americans. Her scholarship illuminates the often-overlooked narratives and challenges faced by Black women in the post-Civil War South, examining their lives and labors with meticulous detail. Hunter's distinctive approach uncovers the resilience and agency of her subjects, offering profound insights into the social and economic forces that shaped their realities. Her contributions significantly enrich our understanding of this pivotal era in American history.

To Joy my Freedom : Southern Black Women's Lives and Labors After the Civil War

322 pages
12 hours of reading

4.2(633)Add rating

Tera Hunter follows African-American working women from their newfound optimism and hope at the end of the Civil War to their struggles as free domestic laborers in the homes of their former master. We witness their drive as they build neighborhoods and networks and their energy as they enjoy leisure hours in dance halls and clubs. We learn of their militance and the way they resisted efforts to keep them economically depressed and medically victimized. Finally, we see the despair and defeat provoked by Jim Crow laws and segregation and how they spurred large numbers of black laboring women to migrate north.Recommended by the Association of Black Women Historians.