{"product_id":"dream-books-and-gamblers-9780252086878","title":"Dream Books and Gamblers","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUbiquitous illegal lotteries known as policy flourished in Chicago's Black community during the overlapping waves of the Great Migration. Policy queens owned stakes in lucrative operations while women writers and clerks canvased the neighborhood, passed out winnings, and kept the books. Elizabeth Schroeder Schlabach examines the complexities of Black women's work in policy gambling. Policy provided Black women with a livelihood for themselves and their families. At the same time, navigating gender expectations, aggressive policing, and other hazards of the infromal economy led them to refashion ideas about Black womanhood and respectability. Policy earnings also funded above-board enterprises ranging from neighborhood businesses to philanthropic institutions, and Schlabach delves into the various ways Black women straddled the illegal policy business and reputable community involvement. Vivid and revealing, Dream Books and Gamblers tells the stories of Black women in the underground ec\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eDream Books and Gamblers\u003c\/i\u003e is a must read! Schlabach impressively weaves together a fascinating narrative about Chicago’s policy racket between 1890 and 1968. A major contribution to the fields of business and Black women’s histories, Schlabach illuminates Black women’s important and multifaceted role in the urban gambling enterprises. \u003ci\u003eDream Books and Gamblers\u003c\/i\u003e is certain to transform our understanding of African American history, leaving scholars with new ways of researching and discussing Black life and culture.”--LaShawn Harris, author of \u003ci\u003eSex Workers, Psychics, and Numbers Runners\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAcknowledgments\u003cp\u003e Introduction \u003c\/p\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e“The Best Job I Ever Had”\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChicago’s First Policy Queens\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChicago’s Most Famous Policy Queen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDream Books, Fortune-Tellers, and Mediumship\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat Arrest Records Reveal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLegal Strategies for Policy Women\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e Conclusion\u003cp\u003e Notes\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Select Bibliography\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Index\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of Illinois Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49400522899799,"sku":"9780252086878","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780252086878.jpg?v=1730470889","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/dream-books-and-gamblers-9780252086878","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}