The Legend of John Henry
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Since we talked about America’s railroad age in Chapter 57 – and because it’s Black History Month – this is the perfect time to discuss an iconic American folktale: The legend of John Henry. It’s the story of a Black railroad worker who defeats the machine that threatens his job – but he pays the ultimate price for it in the end. And the real history behind this story strikes at the heart of the nation’s complicated past.
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