A Movement Without Marches: African American Women and the Politics of Poverty in Postwar Philadelphia (The John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture)

In this bold interpretation of U.S. history, Lisa Levenstein reframes highly charged debates over the origins of chronic African American poverty and the social policies and political struggles that led to the postwar urban crisis. A Movement Without Marches follows poor black women as they traveled from some of Philadelphia's most impoverished neighborhoods into its welfare offices, courtrooms, public housing, schools, and hospitals, laying claim to an unprecedented array of government benefits and services. Levenstein uncovers the constraints that led women to public institutions, emphasizing the importance not only of deindustrialization and racial discrimination but also of women's experiences with sex discrimination, inadequate public education, child rearing, domestic violence, and chronic illness. Women's claims on public institutions brought a range of new resources into poor African American communities. With these resources came new constraints, as public officials frequently responded to women's efforts by limiting benefits and attempting to control their personal lives. Scathing public narratives about women's "dependency" and their children's "illegitimacy" placed African American women and public institutions at the center of the growing opposition to black migration and civil rights in northern U.S. cities. Countering stereotypes that have long plagued public debate, A Movement Without Marches offers a new paradigm for understanding postwar U.S. history. In this bold interpretation of U.S. history, Lisa Levenstein reframes highly charged debates over the origins of chronic African American poverty and the social policies and political struggles that led to the postwar urban crisis. Levenstein follows poor black women as they traveled from some of Philadelphia's most impoverished neighborhoods into its welfare offices, courtrooms, public housing, schools, and hospitals, laying claim to an unprecedented array of government benefits and services. Levenstein exposes the constraints that led women to public institutions, emphasizing the importance not only of de-industrialization and racial discrimination, but also of women's experiences with sex discrimination, inadequate public education, child rearing, domestic violence, and chronic illness. Women's claims on public institutions brought a range of new resources into poor African American communities. These resources imposed new constraints, as public officials frequently responded to women's efforts by limiting benefits and attempting to control their personal lives. Scathing public narratives about women's "dependency" and their children's "illegitimacy" placed African American women and public institutions at the center of the growing opposition to black migration and civil rights in northern U.S. cities. Levenstein counters banal stereotypes that have long plagued public debate and offers a new paradigm for understanding postwar U.S. history. Lisa Levenstein reframes highly charged debates over the origins of chronic African American poverty and the social policies and political struggles that led to the postwar urban crisis. A Movement Without Marches follows poor black women as they traveled from some of Philadelphia's most impoverished neighborhoods into its welfare offices, courtrooms, public housing, schools, and hospitals, laying claim to an unprecedented array of government benefits and services. With these resources came new constraints, as public officials frequently responded to women's efforts by limiting benefits and attempting to control their personal lives. Scathing public narratives about women's "dependency" and their children's "illegitimacy" placed African American women and public institutions at the center of the growing opposition to black migration and civil rights in northern U.S. cities. Countering stereotypes that have long plagued public debate, Levenstein offers a new paradigm for understanding postwar U.S. history.

lisa Levenstein Reframes Highly Charged Debates Over The Origins Of Chronic African American Poverty And The Social Policies And Political Struggles That Led To The Postwar Urban Crisis. Her Analysis Follows Poor Black Women As They Traveled From Some Of Philadelphia's Most Impoverished Neighborhoods Into Its Welfare Offices, Courtrooms, Public Housing, Schools, And Hospitals, Laying Claim To An Unprecedented Array Of Government Benefits And Services. With These Resources Came New Constraints, As Public Officials Frequently Responded To Women's Efforts By Limiting Benefits And Attempting To Control Their Personal Lives. Countering Stereotypes That Have Long Plagued Public Debate, Levenstein Offers A New Paradigm For Understanding Postwar U.s. History.

Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction: The Multidimensionality of Poverty in a Postwar City......Page 20 One: "Tired of Being Seconds" on ADC......Page 50 Two: Hard Choices at 1801 Vine......Page 82 Three: Housing, Not a Home......Page 108 Four: "Massive Resistance" in the Public Schools......Page 140 Five: A Hospital of Their Own......Page 176 Conclusion......Page 200 Appendix: Note on First-Person Sources......Page 212 Notes......Page 220 Bibliography......Page 278 A......Page 304 C......Page 305 D......Page 307 F......Page 308 H......Page 309 M......Page 310 P......Page 311 S......Page 316 U......Page 317 W......Page 318 Y......Page 319