The Negro Laborer: A Word to Him

"The Negro Laborer: A Word to Him" by W. H. Councill is a piece of social commentary providing guidance regarding the challenges encountered by African American workers after the Civil War. It talks about the role and duties of black workers in America during that time period. The author looks at labor's moral meanings, the value of knowledge, and the need for African Americans to get better skills to improve their place in society and the economy. Workers and bosses both were said to have moral duties, and labor was viewed as crucial for society’s growth. The work also touches on the importance of schooling and getting better skills so that African Americans could improve their financial situation and earn respect. Councill shows the real problems that black laborers dealt with, as well as pushing self-reliance and communal progress, and supports striving for property and growth as ways to find success and stability.