Professor Louis Hyman is a historian of work and business at
the ILR School of Cornell University, where he also directs
the Institute for Workplace Studies in New York City
Several months ago Louis wrote a series of Twitter posts
which were read by millions of people about the "hidden
history" of how African-Americans used the Sears catalog as a way of
fighting back against Jim and Jane Crow white racism and white supremacy.
Professor Hyman explains how the consumer's republic was and
remains a key battleground for civil rights and the color line, the many ways
that black Americans used the Sears catalog as a way of participating in
day-to-day resistance against segregation and other types of discrimination
across the United States, and how Sears and America's suburban mall culture
were sites where whiteness was both reproduced and defended. Louis also debunks
the very popular (and empowering) myth that Sears was co-founded by a black
man.
On this week's show, Chauncey DeVega reflects on Ralph
Ellison's "Invisible Man" and a
recent experience with everyday racism. And in keeping with the theme of this
week's show Chauncey also shares a wonderful story about the nationwide network
of Sears retirees who gather on a regular basis to socialize, reconnect, and
who are keeping the wonderful legacy of that American cultural and retail
institution alive.
This week's podcast with Louis Hyman can be listened to or downloaded here.
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