Cusp of a New Era Summary and Analysis

Throughout the country in the post-World War I era, Black women are spearheading projects to improve educational opportunities, health care availability and social protection. While these efforts continue, some are forced to find a balance between the needs of the race and the demands of the Whites who financially support the causes. Black women begin to express themselves, and artists arrive more prominently on the scene in areas of music, opera and literature. Black women also gain more control over their personal lives, waiting longer to marry and having fewer children.

The war and climate take a toll with cotton crops failing across the South and Black women battling for equal pay in the defense industry as well as those working in restaurants, in the fields and in domestic situations. In Pine Bluff...