Black Citizens and American Democracy
Fighting for the Soul of a Nation
How Black activism has helped achieve and maintain democracy for all Americans
In 2020, Black Americans continued a centuries-long pursuit of racial equality and justice in the streets and at the polls. Arguing that this year was not a deviation from the historic Civil Rights Movement, the contributors to this collection examine the important work of Black men and women during the previous decades to shape, expand, and preserve a multiracial American democracy.
The authors of these chapters show that Black Americans have long pushed local and national leaders to ensure that all citizens reap the full benefits of the Constitution. They discuss Black women’s roles in advancing national voting rights; how Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) developed “race leaders”; discriminatory news coverage and actions against it; antipoverty efforts; and the racial and gender dynamics of activist organizations.
These studies show how Black activism from the mid-twentieth century to the present has led to positive changes for all Americans, holding the nation to its democratic ideals and promises. Black Citizens and American Democracy compels recognition of many unsung people who have risked their lives and livelihoods for the good of the country.
Contributors: Reginald K. Ellis | Cassandra Newby-Alexander | Jacqueline Jones | Peter B. Levy | Charles Chavis Jr. | Charles H. Ford | Wesley G. Phelps | Sharlene Sinegal-DeCuir | Jeffrey L. Littlejohn | Kristopher Bryan Burrell
“The authors in this exquisite volume provide a compelling perspective on the issue of building and defending a multiracial democracy in the middle of the last century. With a clear view of the contemporary moment, this book is a powerful reminder of the central role Black folks have played—and continue to play—in shaping the American Experiment.”—Charles McKinney, author of Greater Freedom: The Evolution of the Civil Rights Struggle in Wilson, North Carolina
“This fine collection of essays will help transform our understanding of the historical development of American democracy. It demonstrates that African Americans played a central role in moving the United States toward democracy from the nineteenth to the twenty-first century.”—Jerry Gershenhorn, author of Louis Austin and the Carolina Times: A Life in the Long Black Freedom Struggle
Reginald K. Ellis is Provost Professor of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Research at Florida A&M University.
Jeffrey L. Littlejohn is professor of history at Sam Houston State University. Peter B. Levy is emeritus professor of history at York College of Pennsylvania. Together, Ellis, Littlejohn, and Levy coedited The Seedtime, the Work, and the Harvest: New Perspectives on the Black Freedom Struggle in America.
