Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781631493225)

In a feat of remarkable research and timely reclamation, Eric K. Washington uncovers the nearly forgotten life of James H. Williams (1878-1948), the chief porter of Grand Central Terminal's Red Caps--a multitude of Harlem-based black men whom he organized into the essential labor force of America's most august railroad station. Washington reveals that despite the highly racialized and often exploitative nature of the work, the Red Cap was a highly coveted job for college-bound black men determined to join New York's bourgeoning middle class. Examining the deeply intertwined subjects of class, labor, and African American history, Washington chronicles Williams's life, showing how the enterprising son of freed slaves successfully navigated the segregated world of the northern metropolis, and in so doing ultimately achieved financial and social influence. With this biography, Williams must now be considered, along with Cornelius Vanderbilt and Jacqueline Onassis, one of the great heroes of Grand Central's storied past.

Author: Eric K. Washington
ISBN-10: 1631493221
ISBN-13: 9781631493225
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Language: English
Published: 10/22/2019
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.20w x 1.30d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 07/08/2019
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2019 pg. 103
Library Journal 10/01/2019 pg. 108