John W. Work

Ain't No Whistle on This Here Train A'blowin': an African-american Trilogy John W. Work

An African-American Trilogy features three distinct stories based on historical figures. The first, "My Name Is Ida B. Wells," describes the late 19th- and early 20th-century battles forged by the newspaperwoman against racial discrimination, and the growing scourge of lynching around the nation, and especially in Memphis, Tennessee. A young reporter idolizes Ida and seeks to emulate her. In fear of her life from an enraged white mob, Ida escapes her home just hours before a mob burns it to the ground. The second historical fiction story is "Tulsa, 1921: The Granddaddy of American Race Riots." Two of the colored millionaires in Tulsa, Oklahoma, O. W. Gurley and J. B. Stradford, were business competitors in real estate. They decided to partner in building the finest hotel in Tulsa. Never dreaming their plans would evoke animosity from the white community, the hotel plans were put on hold. A seemingly innocent incident involving an elevator ride shared by a colored man and a white woman set off the worst race riot in American history. "When Miss Anderson Sang at the Met" is the final story. Set in 1955, it tells of a young man who simply must hear the great Marian Anderson perform at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, marking the first time an African-American artist would perform at the Met. John W. Work IV, Ph. D., has been a university professor of economics, a corporate executive, and most recently was a senior principal in a New York City-based management consulting firm. He resides with his wife in New York City, where he is an author and professional futures trader. Publisher's website: http://sbpra.com/JohnWWorkIV