On the Rails: African American Experiences in Railroad History

On the Rails: African American Experiences in Railroad History

Saturday, November 8, 6:00 p.m.

Indigo Room, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 20 Castle Street, Great Barrington, MA

FREE, No reservations required
Row seating, first-come, first-served

Co-presented with the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center and DuBois Freedom Center 

Join this pre-show talk and Q&A before Silkroad Ensemble’s American Railroad concert in the historic theater. Amplifying the performance’s themes of workers’ contributions to the transcontinental railroad’s construction and the railroad as a conveyance and co-mingling of their cultures, Dr. Camesha Scruggs will speak on the experiences of African American railroad workers. From railroad construction through employment as porters, the railroad offered a door towards upward mobility and a path of migration of the Black community but did not come without human costs. 

Dr. Camesha Scruggs is an Assistant Professor of History at Central Connecticut State University. Her research fields include US and African American History. As a trained public historian, she endeavors to protect and preserve history while making it palatable for various audiences. 

If you would like to buy tickets for the show at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center following this lecture, click on the link below:

Silkroad Ensemble featuring Wu Man: American Railroad here.

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Co-presented with