River of Hope [electronic resource] : Black Politics and the Memphis Freedom Movement, 1865--1954 /
Gritter, Elizabeth.
Lexington, Kentucky : University Press of Kentucky,
2014.
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
Description based upon print version of record.
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
Includes bibliographical references and index.
"To regain the lost rights of a growing race": Black political mobilization from 1865 to 1916 -- "The fight...to make America safe for Americans": Memphis as a political model for the region and the country, 1917-1927 -- "Come...and see what a Negro Democrat looks like": the diversity of Black political activity from 1928 to 1939 -- "As un-American as any dictator-ridden country in Europe": seeking democracy during the war years, 1940-1945 -- "A new day breaking" in the city and the south: the decline of the Crump machine and the rise of new leadership, 1946-1954 -- Conclusion.
Description based on print version record.
Civil rights movements
African Americans
African Americans