In this beautifully written book Francille Rusan Wilson examines the lives and professional careers of fifteen African American labor historians and social scientists. Relying on extensive archival research and oral history interviews, she looks at these individuals considering gender (something rarely done), class, and the time period in which they worked. These social scientists all entered their fields between 1890 and 1935 and, according to Wilson, were motivated by a desire to improve the situation for African American workers throughout the United States.