Letter: Hanford project seeks info on history of black workers

In response to the article “Project eyes conditions for black workers at Hanford” (Oct. 16):

While there were only 27 blacks living in Pasco in 1940, approximately 15,000 worked at Hanford during the war and thousands more during the Cold War. Dupont would only hire African Americans in temporary positions — construction and service — regardless of their qualifications. In the early 1950s, largely as a result of advocacy from the NAACP and National Urban League, Dupont began recruiting some in professional, white collar positions.

In the early 2000s, the African American Community Cultural and Educational Society videotaped 11 oral history interviews of African American Hanford workers and migrant business owners. The local nonprofit organization welcomes the opportunity to share more stories about black experiences in the Tri-Cities.

Not many of the original Hanford employees remain, but the Hanford History Project is seeking out their children and others who struggled to obtain equal treatment through the Civil Rights Era as subjects for the National Parks Service project.

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 1:33 PM with the headline "Letter: Hanford project seeks info on history of black workers."