Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share What a Coal Miner Taught a Historian
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
What a Coal Miner Taught a Historian
In this powerful and enlightening conversation, Dr. Joe William
Trotter Jr. traces his remarkable journey from a coal-mining family in West
Virginia to becoming one of the nations leading scholars of African
American history, Black labor, and urban working-class life. He reflects on
the formative influence of his father, the devastating loss he experienced
early in life, and how education became both a lifeline and a calling.
Dr. Trotter shares how his lived experience shaped a lifelong mission: to
document, honor, and elevate the often-overlooked contributions of the Black
working class. He challenges persistent misconceptions that frame Black
urban communities solely as victims, instead emphasizing their central role as builders
of cities, economies, and culture. Against the backdrop of todays
political and cultural debates, he underscores the urgency of preserving
African American history and producing scholarship that is both rigorous and
accessible.
We have to keep fighting for our history, Dr. Trotter reminds
us.
Rather than defining success by titles or accolades, Dr. Trotter measures
it by impacton his students, on public understanding, and on future
generations who will carry this work forward.
Key Takeaways
viewed as a pathway out of poverty, instilled early by his fathers deep
belief in higher learning.
lifes work centers on documenting the historical contributions of the Black
working class.
school teacher, he created a Black history course to address major gaps in
the curriculum.
depict Black communities only as victims obscure their role as city
builders and agents of change.
political movements pose serious threats to the preservation of African
American history.
measured by long-term impact on students and communities, not just
academic achievement.
must be accessible, relevant, and meaningful for future generations.
Black history requires sustained commitment, vigilance, and courage.
About Dr. Joe William Trotter Jr.
Dr. Joe William Trotter Jr. is the Giant Eagle University Professor of
History and Social Justice and former Chair of the History Department at Carnegie
Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He is the founder and director of Carnegie
Mellons Center for Africanamerican Urban Studies and the Economy (CAUSE),
president-elect of the Urban History Association, and a member of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences.
His most recent book, Building the Black City: The Transformation
of American Life (University of California Press, 2024), expands our
understanding of Black urban history and labor. He is also the author of Workers
on Arrival: Black Labor in the Making of America (2019).
Dr. Trotter earned his BA from Carthage College and his MA and PhD
from the University of Minnesota. He teaches undergraduate and graduate
courses in African American history, U.S. urban history, labor history, and
working-class studies. His scholarship and lectures have reached audiences
across the United States and internationally, including the United Kingdom,
France, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, and the Middle East.
In addition to his teaching and writing, Dr. Trotter has served in
leadership roles with numerous professional organizations, including the Organization
of American Historians, American Historical Association, Southern
Historical Association, and the Labor and Working-Class History
Association, where he is a past president.
Join the Conversation
Emunah listeners, wed love to hear from you. Share your comments,
reactions, and questions at [email protected].
To learn more about our work, visit the Women of the Word website at wordconsultingllc.com.
View all episodes
By Tamara M. Cooke Henry, Ph.D.In this powerful and enlightening conversation, Dr. Joe William
Trotter Jr. traces his remarkable journey from a coal-mining family in West
Virginia to becoming one of the nations leading scholars of African
American history, Black labor, and urban working-class life. He reflects on
the formative influence of his father, the devastating loss he experienced
early in life, and how education became both a lifeline and a calling.
Dr. Trotter shares how his lived experience shaped a lifelong mission: to
document, honor, and elevate the often-overlooked contributions of the Black
working class. He challenges persistent misconceptions that frame Black
urban communities solely as victims, instead emphasizing their central role as builders
of cities, economies, and culture. Against the backdrop of todays
political and cultural debates, he underscores the urgency of preserving
African American history and producing scholarship that is both rigorous and
accessible.
We have to keep fighting for our history, Dr. Trotter reminds
us.
Rather than defining success by titles or accolades, Dr. Trotter measures
it by impacton his students, on public understanding, and on future
generations who will carry this work forward.
Key Takeaways
viewed as a pathway out of poverty, instilled early by his fathers deep
belief in higher learning.
lifes work centers on documenting the historical contributions of the Black
working class.
school teacher, he created a Black history course to address major gaps in
the curriculum.
depict Black communities only as victims obscure their role as city
builders and agents of change.
political movements pose serious threats to the preservation of African
American history.
measured by long-term impact on students and communities, not just
academic achievement.
must be accessible, relevant, and meaningful for future generations.
Black history requires sustained commitment, vigilance, and courage.
About Dr. Joe William Trotter Jr.
Dr. Joe William Trotter Jr. is the Giant Eagle University Professor of
History and Social Justice and former Chair of the History Department at Carnegie
Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He is the founder and director of Carnegie
Mellons Center for Africanamerican Urban Studies and the Economy (CAUSE),
president-elect of the Urban History Association, and a member of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences.
His most recent book, Building the Black City: The Transformation
of American Life (University of California Press, 2024), expands our
understanding of Black urban history and labor. He is also the author of Workers
on Arrival: Black Labor in the Making of America (2019).
Dr. Trotter earned his BA from Carthage College and his MA and PhD
from the University of Minnesota. He teaches undergraduate and graduate
courses in African American history, U.S. urban history, labor history, and
working-class studies. His scholarship and lectures have reached audiences
across the United States and internationally, including the United Kingdom,
France, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, and the Middle East.
In addition to his teaching and writing, Dr. Trotter has served in
leadership roles with numerous professional organizations, including the Organization
of American Historians, American Historical Association, Southern
Historical Association, and the Labor and Working-Class History
Association, where he is a past president.
Join the Conversation
Emunah listeners, wed love to hear from you. Share your comments,
reactions, and questions at [email protected].
To learn more about our work, visit the Women of the Word website at wordconsultingllc.com.