Do employers have a race? Employers' racial ideology and the marginalization of black male workers in the Pullman Company 1858–1969

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the role of company executives‘ racial ideology in the relegation of black workers to inferior, lower paying jobs in the Pullman Railroad Company (1858-1969). I argue that it is important to recognize that employers, like white workers, were not driven simply by material interest; rather their actions were often guided by their ideologies and deep seated beliefs and prejudices. My argument that employers‘ racial ideology was a causal factor in black workers‘ marginalization is developed through a historical analysis of the Pullman Railroad Company archives.