White Gloves, Black Nation

Women, Citizenship, and Political Wayfaring in Haiti

By Grace Sanders Johnson | Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press

About the book

This ambitious transnational history considers Haitian women’s political life during and after the United States occupation of Haiti (1915–34). The two decades following the occupation were some of the most politically dynamic and promising times in Haiti’s modern history, but the history of women’s political organizing in this period has received scant attention. Tracing elite and middle-class women’s activism and intellectual practice from the countryside of Kenscoff, Haiti, to Philadelphia, the Belgian Congo, and back to Port-au-Prince, this book tells the story of Haitian women’s essential role as co-curators of modern Haitian citizenship.

Set in a period when national belonging was articulated in philosophies of African authenticity, revolutionary nostalgia, and working-class politics, Grace Sanders Johnson considers how an emerging educated and professional class of women who understood themselves as descendants of the Haitian Revolution established alternative claims to citizenship that included, but were not limited to, suffrage and radicalism. Sanders Johnson argues that these women’s political practice incorporated strategic class performance, extravagant sartorial sensibilities, and an insistence on self-promotion and preservation that challenged the exceptional trope of the martyred male revolutionary hero. Bringing her subjects vividly to life, she reveals their politics of wayfaring, moving deliberately if sometimes ineffectively through the radical milieu of the twentieth century.

Editions of White Gloves, Black Nation

Hardcover
ISBN 9781469673677
Paperback
ISBN 9781469673684
EBook
ISBN 9781469673707
EBook
ISBN 9798890853769
EBook
ISBN 9781469673691
PDF
ISBN 9798890853752

Read an Excerpt

This ambitious transnational history considers Haitian women’s political life during and after the United States occupation of Haiti (1915–34). The two decades following the occupation were some of the most politically dynamic and promising times in Haiti’s modern history, but the history of women’s political organizing in this period has received scant attention. Tracing elite and middle-class women’s activism and intellectual practice from the countryside of Kenscoff, Haiti, to Philadelphia, the Belgian Congo, and back to Port-au-Prince, this book tells the story of Haitian women’s essential role as co-curators of modern Haitian citizenship.

Set in a period when national belonging was articulated in philosophies of African authenticity, revolutionary nostalgia, and working-class politics, Grace Sanders Johnson considers how an emerging educated and professional class of women who understood themselves as descendants of the Haitian Revolution established alternative claims to citizenship that included, but were not limited to, suffrage and radicalism. Sanders Johnson argues that these women’s political practice incorporated strategic class performance, extravagant sartorial sensibilities, and an insistence on self-promotion and preservation that challenged the exceptional trope of the martyred male revolutionary hero. Bringing her subjects vividly to life, she reveals their politics of wayfaring, moving deliberately if sometimes ineffectively through the radical milieu of the twentieth century.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is White Gloves, Black Nation about?

This ambitious transnational history considers Haitian women’s political life during and after the United States occupation of Haiti (1915–34). The two decades following the occupation were some of the most politically dynamic and promising times in Haiti’s modern history, but the history of women’s political organizing in this period has received scant attention. Tracing elite and middle-class women’s activism and intellectual practice from the countryside of Kenscoff, Haiti, to Philadelphia, the Belgian Congo, and back to Port-au-Prince, this book tells the story of Haitian women’s essential role as co-curators of modern Haitian citizenship.

Set in a period when national belonging was articulated in philosophies of African authenticity, revolutionary nostalgia, and working-class politics, Grace Sanders Johnson considers how an emerging educated and professional class of women who understood themselves as descendants of the Haitian Revolution established alternative claims to citizenship that included, but were not limited to, suffrage and radicalism. Sanders Johnson argues that these women’s political practice incorporated strategic class performance, extravagant sartorial sensibilities, and an insistence on self-promotion and preservation that challenged the exceptional trope of the martyred male revolutionary hero. Bringing her subjects vividly to life, she reveals their politics of wayfaring, moving deliberately if sometimes ineffectively through the radical milieu of the twentieth century.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in White Gloves, Black Nation?

Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Ethnic studies / Ethnicity

Where can I read a sample of White Gloves, Black Nation?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469673677

How long is White Gloves, Black Nation and how many pages does it have?

White Gloves, Black Nation has 328 page(s)

Is White Gloves, Black Nation part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?

Yes it is a part of series Gender and American Culture

Who is/are the Author/s of the book White Gloves, Black Nation?

Grace Sanders Johnson

Who is the Publisher of the book White Gloves, Black Nation?

The University of North Carolina Press

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

White Gloves, Black Nation is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469673677) and paperback(ISBN 9781469673684) and ebook(ISBN 9781469673707) and ebook(ISBN 9798890853769) and ebook(ISBN 9781469673691) and pdf(ISBN 9798890853752)

Where can I buy White Gloves, Black Nation online or support local independent bookshops?

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Where can I buy White Gloves, Black Nation?