President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty did more than offer
aid to needy Americans; in some cities, it also sparked both racial
conflict and cooperation. "Race and the War on Poverty" examines
the African American and Mexican American community organizations
in Los Angeles that emerged to implement War on Poverty programs.
It explores how organizers applied democratic vision and political
savvy to community action, and how the ongoing African American,
Chicano, and feminist movements in turn shaped the contours of the
War on Poverty's goals, programs, and cultural identity.
Robert Bauman describes how the Watts riots of 1965 accelerated
the creation of a black community-controlled agency, the Watts
Labor Community Action Committee. The example of the WLCAC,
combined with a burgeoning Chicano movement, inspired Mexican
Americans to create The East Los Angeles Community Union (TELACU)
and the Chicana Service Action Center. Bauman explores the
connections that wove together the War on Poverty, the Watts
revolt, and local movements in ways that empowered the participants
economically, culturally, and politically. Although heated battles
over race and other cultural issues sometimes derailed the
programs, these organizations produced lasting positive effects for
the communities they touched.
Despite Nixon-era budget cuts and the nation's turn toward
conservatism, the War on Poverty continues to be fought today as
these agencies embrace the changing politics, economics, and
demographics of Los Angeles. "Race and the War on Poverty" shows
how the struggle to end poverty evolved in ways that would have
surprised its planners, supporters, and detractors--and that what
began as a grand vision at the national level continues to thrive
on the streets of the community.
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