This episode Jason Rankins, our Guide II Supervisor at the California State Railroad Museum, will be speaking with Dr. Max Geier, an Emeritus Professor of History at Western Oregon University. Dr. Geier is also the author of the book “The Color of Night: Race, Railroaders, and Murder in the Wartime West.” His book focuses on railroad workers in California and Oregon. The book investigates the trial and conviction of Robert Folkes, a labor organizer and civil rights activist who served as a railroad cook during World War II in the Pacific Northwest. Geier’s book makes a compelling exploration of race, class, and privilege in the wartime Northwest. It contributes to a more extensive understanding of the roles, positions, and union affiliations that Black railroad workers held during the early to mid-twentieth century.

If you are interested in reading Dr. Geier’s book, “The Color of the Night: Race, Railroaders, and Murder in the Wartime West” you can purchase his book on Amazon, or from the Oregon State University Press.