MacLaury, author of the recently published Newfound Press title, To Advance Their Opportunities: Federal Policies Toward African American Workers from World War I to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, will speak at an e-Forum on scholarly publishing, Wednesday, October 15, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in 605 Hodges Library. Light refreshments will be served.

MacLaury will discuss the genesis of his book and his experiences as a scholar working with a library digital press at a presentation entitled Digital Publishing: the New Millennium. Anne Mayhew, Professor Emerita, Economics/History and Newfound Press Editorial Board member, will introduce the author. The UT Libraries e-Forum series focuses on electronic issues of importance to academia.

In To Advance Their Opportunities, MacLaury chronicles the development of federal policies and programs impacting African American workers and examines the fascinating and rarely seen workings of federal bureaucracies as they attempted to rein in racism in the nation’s federally funded workplaces. He traces the hard-won gains made by African American workers and the crucial role of the civil rights movement and its supporters in urging the federal government to action. This scholarly and timely work also lays out the roots and development of affirmative action.

Newfound Press is a UT Libraries open access, peer-reviewed digital publishing service. The press demonstrates new options for scholars and readers by publishing materials that merit wide dissemination and preservation, but are unlikely to be published by a traditional press because of narrow focus or innovative format. The Newfound Press Editorial Board welcomes queries about publishing multimedia works.

To Advance Their Opportunities and other monographs, a scholarly journal, and conference proceedings are available at newfoundpress.utk.edu–all without cost to the user.

Participants can learn more about the content of To Advance Their Opportunities at a conversation with the author and brown-bag lunch on Thursday, October 16, at 12 noon at the Black Cultural Center. Drinks and cookies will be provided. This event is sponsored by The University Libraries and The Black Cultural Center.

MacLaury will sign print-on-demand copies of To Advance Their Opportunities at both events. Paperbound copies are $25 each.