Deindustrialization has had a profound effect on both the textile and apparel industry. In Empty Mills, Timothy Minchin documents how both industries have suffered since WWII and the unwavering efforts of industry supporters to prevent that decline.
This is a look at how the rise in standards throughout the US after World War II brought significant changes to the lives of southern textile workers. It shows how their economic expectations increased and how their purchasing power grew - with little help from the unions.