About this item
The poultry processing industry in El Dorado, Arkansas, was an economic powerhouse in the latter half of the twentieth century. It was the largest employer in the interconnected region of South Arkansas and North Louisiana surrounding El Dorado, and the fates of many related companies and farms depended on its continued financial success. We Just Keep Running the Line is the story of the rise of the poultry processing industry in El Dorado and the labor force -- composed primarily of black women -- upon which it came to rely. At a time when agricultural jobs were in decline and Louisiana stood at the forefront of rising anti-welfare sentiment, much of the work available in the area went to men, driving women into less attractive, labor-intensive jobs.
About the Author
Dr. LaGuana Gray is an associate professor in the Department of History and the Honors College at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She also coordinates the American Studies program. Dr. Gray specializes in 20th Century US history, particularly African American, labor, southern, and women's history.
