Sac History Happenings: African Americans and railroad history explored in lecture

Sac History Happenings

News and developments in Sacramento and California history

February 14, 2012

African Americans and railroad history explored in lecture

Railroads African Americans.jpg The history of African Americans is intertwined with the history of American railroads from slavery to Amtrak. The rail industry provided black people with employment as brakemen, firemen, porters, chefs, mechanics and laborers. In addition, it also served as a setting for many important civil rights protests and breakthroughs.

This story will be explored at a lecture by Theodore Kornweibel, Jr., author of Railroads in the African American Experience: A Photographic Journey, who will speak twice at the California State Railroad Museum this Saturday. The presentation will be illustrated with some of the book's 200 images, many never before published.

Prof. Kornweibel will also meet informally with the public at Underground Books, 2814 35th Street in Sacramento Feb. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m.

What: Two Special Presentations & Book Signing Opportunities with Theodore Kornweibel, Jr.
Where: California State Railroad Museum, Old Sacramento State Historic Park
When: Feb. 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Cost: $9 adults; $4 youths ages 6-17; free for children ages 5 and under (regular Museum admission)
For more info: 916-445-6645 or website

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California and Sacramento have a long, rich, vibrant history. And our region is blessed with an abundance of historical resources maintained by museums, libraries, archives and societies. This blog aims to alert readers to the latest developments in local/state historical education and research.

Send tips concerning upcoming exhibits, tours, lectures and meetings, as well as new books, magazine articles and online collections to the blog's contributors.

The Contributors:

Michael Dolgushkin

Michael Dolgushkin is Manuscript Librarian at the California State Library History Section. He is co-author of San Francisco's California Street Cable Cars and is a frequent contributor to the California State Library Foundation Bulletin. Contact him at mdolgushkin@library.ca.gov.

Amanda Graham is a Certified Archivist working in the Sacramento Room of the Sacramento Public Library. She earned a BS in History from Southern Oregon University and a MS in Information Studies with an emphasis in archives from The University of Texas at Austin. Contact her at agraham@saclibrary.org.

Pete Basofin is Director of Editorial Research at The Sacramento Bee. He previously worked at The St. Petersburg Times and Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune. Contact him at pbasofin@sacbee.com.

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