Muskegon Heights: Muskegon's Black Experience-- Part 1: "Hot Beds"

From the Muskegon, Michigan site by Dr. James Jackson, Director of the Museum of African-American History in Muskegon, Michigan.

During World War II, Muskegon became a major material supplier of the war effort. Large numbers of black workers from the South were hired and brought to the city to provide cheap labor.

Temporary housing was constructed. When the war ended, these blacks were in effect stranded. Muskegon did not welcome them.

Federal law forced recruitment in the South. Sleeping for these workers often consisted of a bed rented for eight hours according to one's shifts (shifts at local plants were 24-hours-a-day with three shifts). Such housing was referred to as a "Hot Bed." Many of these were located on Pine Street. Some workers even slept in public parks.

More to Come. --GreGen