Fighting for democracy : black veterans and the struggle against white supremacy in the postwar south
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Fighting for democracy : black veterans and the struggle against white supremacy in the postwar south
（Princeton studies in American politics : historical, international, and comparative perspectives）
Princeton University Press, c2009
- : hardcover
- : pbk
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [235]-254) and index
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
-
: hardcover ISBN 9780691140032
Description
"Fighting for Democracy" shows how the experiences of African American soldiers during World War II and the Korean War influenced many of them to challenge white supremacy in the South when they returned home. Focusing on the motivations of individual black veterans, this ground breaking book explores the relationship between military service and political activism. Christopher Parker draws on unique sources of evidence, including interviews and survey data, to illustrate how and why black servicemen who fought for their country in wartime returned to America prepared to fight for their own equality. Parker discusses the history of African American military service and how the wartime experiences of black veterans inspired them to contest Jim Crow. Black veterans gained courage and confidence by fighting their nation's enemies on the battlefield and racism in the ranks. Viewing their military service as patriotic sacrifice in the defense of democracy, these veterans returned home with the determination and commitment to pursue equality and social reform in the South.
Just as they had risked their lives to protect democratic rights while abroad, they risked their lives to demand those same rights on the domestic front. Providing a sophisticated understanding of how war abroad impacts efforts for social change at home, "Fighting for Democracy" recovers a vital story about black veterans and demonstrates their distinct contributions to the American political landscape.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations ix Preface and Ac knowledgments xi INTRODUCTION 1 Military Ser vice and Insurgency 5 Recasting Military Service and Resistance 9 Theory and Method 12 Broader Contributions 13 Plan of the Book 15 CHAPTER 1. War, Military Ser vice, and the Prospect for Change: A Glance at History 18 The Promise of Military Service in the Early American Republic 20 Diminishing Returns and Increasing Militancy, 1876- 1918 29 Fighting on Two Fronts Twice: World War II and the Korean War 40 CHAPTER 2: Military Service and Resistance: Toward a Theory of Black Republicanism 60 The Citizen- Soldier Ideal 62 The Symbolism of Military Ser vice 67 Military Ser vice as a Symbolic Experience 69 Sketching a Belief System for Black Veterans 73 Black Republicanism Defined 79 CHAPTER 3: Taking the Crooked with the Straight: The Pros and Cons of African American Military Experience during the 1940s and'50s 88 A Description of the Data 90 The Crooked: Negative Aspects of Black Veterans Military Experiences 92 The Straight: Positive Aspects of Black Veterans Military Experiences 99 Donning the Uniform 107 CHAPTER 4: When Jim Crow Meets Uncle Sam: The Veteran Returns to Dixie 112 White Domination in the 1950s 114 Framing the Meaning of Military Ser vice and Black Republicanism 116 Black Republicanism and National Identification 118 Black Republicanism and Citizenship 122 Expectations of Racial Progress: Service and Sacrifice 127 A Source of Republican Criticism: Military Ser vice and Entitlement 132 From Criticism to Activism 137 CHAPTER 5: Exploring the Attitudinal Consequences of African American Military Experience 145 Black Veterans Attitudes toward Southern Traditionalism: Resisting the Status Quo 148 Black Veterans and the Role of the State 157 A Hard Case: Black Veterans Attitudes toward Segregation 162 CHAPTER 6: Dying to Participate: Political Participation as a Form of Protest 174 Impediments to Black Political Participation in the South 177 Explaining Black Political Participation in the South 179 Political Participation and Risk: Voting versus Political Activism 181 Modeling Voting and Nonvoting Activism 187 Conclusion: Taps for Jim Crow in the Postwar South 196 Principal Findings 198 The Implications of Fighting for Democracy 203 Future Directions 209 APPENDIX A: Study Description, Coding, Question Wording, and Other Estimates from Chapters 5 and 6 210 Appendix B: Content Analysis of the Chicago Defender 217 Appendix C: Interview Methodology and Material 226 Appendix D: Profi les of Selected Black Veteran Activists 231 References 235 Index 255
- Volume
-
: pbk ISBN 9780691140049
Description
Fighting for Democracy shows how the experiences of African American soldiers during World War II and the Korean War influenced many of them to challenge white supremacy in the South when they returned home. Focusing on the motivations of individual black veterans, this groundbreaking book explores the relationship between military service and political activism. Christopher Parker draws on unique sources of evidence, including interviews and survey data, to illustrate how and why black servicemen who fought for their country in wartime returned to America prepared to fight for their own equality. Parker discusses the history of African American military service and how the wartime experiences of black veterans inspired them to contest Jim Crow. Black veterans gained courage and confidence by fighting their nation's enemies on the battlefield and racism in the ranks. Viewing their military service as patriotic sacrifice in the defense of democracy, these veterans returned home with the determination and commitment to pursue equality and social reform in the South.
Just as they had risked their lives to protect democratic rights while abroad, they risked their lives to demand those same rights on the domestic front. Providing a sophisticated understanding of how war abroad impacts efforts for social change at home, Fighting for Democracy recovers a vital story about black veterans and demonstrates their distinct contributions to the American political landscape.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations ix Preface and Ac knowledgments xi INTRODUCTION 1 Military Ser vice and Insurgency 5 Recasting Military Service and Resistance 9 Theory and Method 12 Broader Contributions 13 Plan of the Book 15 CHAPTER 1. War, Military Ser vice, and the Prospect for Change: A Glance at History 18 The Promise of Military Service in the Early American Republic 20 Diminishing Returns and Increasing Militancy, 1876- 1918 29 Fighting on Two Fronts Twice: World War II and the Korean War 40 CHAPTER 2: Military Service and Resistance: Toward a Theory of Black Republicanism 60 The Citizen- Soldier Ideal 62 The Symbolism of Military Ser vice 67 Military Ser vice as a Symbolic Experience 69 Sketching a Belief System for Black Veterans 73 Black Republicanism Defined 79 CHAPTER 3: Taking the Crooked with the Straight: The Pros and Cons of African American Military Experience during the 1940s and'50s 88 A Description of the Data 90 The Crooked: Negative Aspects of Black Veterans' Military Experiences 92 The Straight: Positive Aspects of Black Veterans' Military Experiences 99 Donning the Uniform 107 CHAPTER 4: When Jim Crow Meets Uncle Sam: The Veteran Returns to Dixie 112 White Domination in the 1950s 114 Framing the Meaning of Military Ser vice and Black Republicanism 116 Black Republicanism and National Identification 118 Black Republicanism and Citizenship 122 Expectations of Racial Progress: Service and Sacrifice 127 A Source of Republican Criticism: Military Ser vice and Entitlement 132 From Criticism to Activism 137 CHAPTER 5: Exploring the Attitudinal Consequences of African American Military Experience 145 Black Veterans' Attitudes toward Southern Traditionalism: Resisting the Status Quo 148 Black Veterans and the Role of the State 157 A Hard Case: Black Veterans' Attitudes toward Segregation 162 CHAPTER 6: Dying to Participate: Political Participation as a Form of Protest 174 Impediments to Black Political Participation in the South 177 Explaining Black Political Participation in the South 179 Political Participation and Risk: Voting versus Political Activism 181 Modeling Voting and Nonvoting Activism 187 Conclusion: Taps for Jim Crow in the Postwar South 196 Principal Findings 198 The Implications of Fighting for Democracy 203 Future Directions 209 APPENDIX A: Study Description, Coding, Question Wording, and Other Estimates from Chapters 5 and 6 210 Appendix B: Content Analysis of the Chicago Defender 217 Appendix C: Interview Methodology and Material 226 Appendix D: Profi les of Selected Black Veteran Activists 231 References 235 Index 255
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