About the book
When Franklin Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, Atlanta had the South’s largest population of college-educated African Americans. The dictates of Jim Crow meant that these men and women were almost entirely excluded from public life, but as Karen Ferguson demonstrates, Roosevelt’s New Deal opened unprecedented opportunities for black Atlantans struggling to achieve full citizenship.
Black reformers, often working within federal agencies as social workers and administrators, saw the inclusion of African Americans in New Deal social welfare programs as a chance to prepare black Atlantans to take their rightful place in the political and social mainstream. They also worked to build a constituency they could mobilize for civil rights, in the process facilitating a shift from elite reform to the mass mobilization that marked the postwar black freedom struggle.
Although these reformers' efforts were an essential prelude to civil rights activism, Ferguson argues that they also had lasting negative repercussions, embedded as they were in the politics of respectability. By attempting to impose bourgeois behavioral standards on the black community, elite reformers stratified it into those they determined deserving to participate in federal social welfare programs and those they consigned to remain at the margins of civic life.
Editions of Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807827017
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807853702
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807860144
- PDF
- ISBN 9798890872951
Read an Excerpt
When Franklin Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, Atlanta had the South’s largest population of college-educated African Americans. The dictates of Jim Crow meant that these men and women were almost entirely excluded from public life, but as Karen Ferguson demonstrates, Roosevelt’s New Deal opened unprecedented opportunities for black Atlantans struggling to achieve full citizenship.
Black reformers, often working within federal agencies as social workers and administrators, saw the inclusion of African Americans in New Deal social welfare programs as a chance to prepare black Atlantans to take their rightful place in the political and social mainstream. They also worked to build a constituency they could mobilize for civil rights, in the process facilitating a shift from elite reform to the mass mobilization that marked the postwar black freedom struggle.
Although these reformers' efforts were an essential prelude to civil rights activism, Ferguson argues that they also had lasting negative repercussions, embedded as they were in the politics of respectability. By attempting to impose bourgeois behavioral standards on the black community, elite reformers stratified it into those they determined deserving to participate in federal social welfare programs and those they consigned to remain at the margins of civic life.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta about?
When Franklin Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, Atlanta had the South’s largest population of college-educated African Americans. The dictates of Jim Crow meant that these men and women were almost entirely excluded from public life, but as Karen Ferguson demonstrates, Roosevelt’s New Deal opened unprecedented opportunities for black Atlantans struggling to achieve full citizenship.
Black reformers, often working within federal agencies as social workers and administrators, saw the inclusion of African Americans in New Deal social welfare programs as a chance to prepare black Atlantans to take their rightful place in the political and social mainstream. They also worked to build a constituency they could mobilize for civil rights, in the process facilitating a shift from elite reform to the mass mobilization that marked the postwar black freedom struggle.
Although these reformers' efforts were an essential prelude to civil rights activism, Ferguson argues that they also had lasting negative repercussions, embedded as they were in the politics of respectability. By attempting to impose bourgeois behavioral standards on the black community, elite reformers stratified it into those they determined deserving to participate in federal social welfare programs and those they consigned to remain at the margins of civic life.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta?
Society and Social Sciences > Society and culture: general > Social groups, communities and identities > Ethnic studies / Ethnicity
Where can I read a sample of Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807827017
How long is Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta and how many pages does it have?
Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta has 352 page(s)
Is Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta?
Karen Ferguson
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807827017) and paperback(ISBN 9780807853702) and ebook(ISBN 9780807860144) and pdf(ISBN 9798890872951)
Where can I buy Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta from below
Where can I buy Black Politics in New Deal Atlanta?