The Post Office Department and Jim Crow
Although slavery had been outlawed, there were virtually no laws or regulations after the Civil War that provided African-Americans with protection against racial discrimination on the job, unless they worked for the federal government.In 1883, as...
Postal Landscape Includes Art of the New Deal
If the facility you work in was built during the Great Depression, chances are that its public lobby features a unique work of art. Though many post offices have undergone repeated renovations, most of the art has been preserved. Today, about 1,000...
Not Always a Smooth Ride
Mail transportation took the obvious route when the Continental Congress founded our nation’s postal system in 1775. The horse and rider — and maybe the occasional “buggy” — were the main features of the system for decades.
Labor Movement’s Social Conscience
Remembered mainly as the longtime president of the United Auto Workers, Walter Reuther was one of the modern labor movement’s most important figures, not only because of his success as a union leader, but because of his lifelong passion for social...
Groundbreaking, Heartbreaking ‘Harvest of Shame’
Half a century ago, the plight of the nation’s migrant farm workers was brought home to millions of Americans, many of whom had just enjoyed their biggest meal of the year.