One of the largest southern cities and a hub for the cotton
industry, Memphis, Tennessee, was at the forefront of black
political empowerment during the Jim Crow era. Compared to other
cities in the South, Memphis had an unusually large number of
African American voters. Black Memphians sought reform at the
ballot box, formed clubs, ran for office, and engaged in voter
registration and education activities from the end of the Civil War
through the Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954.
In this groundbreaking book, Elizabeth Gritter examines how and
why black Memphians mobilized politically in the period between
Reconstruction and the beginning of the civil rights movement.
Gritter illuminates, in particular, the efforts and influence of
Robert R. Church Jr., an affluent Republican and founder of the
Lincoln League, and the notorious Memphis political boss Edward H.
Crump. Using these two men as lenses through which to view African
American political engagement, this volume explores how black
voters and their leaders both worked with and opposed the white
political machine at the ballot box.
River of Hope challenges persisting notions of a "Solid South"
of white Democratic control by arguing that the small but
significant number of black southerners who retained the right to
vote had more influence than scholars have heretofore assumed.
Gritter's nuanced study presents a fascinating view of the complex
nature of political power during the Jim Crow era and provides
fresh insight into the efforts of the individuals who laid the
foundation for civil rights victories in the 1950s and '60s.
General
Imprint: |
The University Press of Kentucky
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century |
Release date: |
February 2014 |
First published: |
March 2014 |
Authors: |
Elizabeth Gritter
|
Dimensions: |
236 x 162 x 29mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Hardcover - Unsewn / adhesive bound / Paper over boards / With dust jacket
|
Pages: |
355 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-8131-4450-4 |
Categories: |
Books >
Social sciences >
Sociology, social studies >
Social issues >
General
|
LSN: |
0-8131-4450-7 |
Barcode: |
9780813144504 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!