After Freedom Summer: How Race Realigned Mississippi Politics, 1965–1986 (new Perspectives On The History Of The South)

"A brilliant history of black politics and white resistance in post-civil rights era Mississippi. Danielson’s work helps to fill the yawning gap in the black politics historiography between the Black Power movement and contemporary black politics. Additionally, he makes a critical contribution to the literature of the racial realignment of the two major political parties. A must-read!"--G. Derek Musgrove, University of the District of Columbia "A sobering account of what happened after the singing and marching stopped. Danielson's masterful analysis of Mississippi's racially divided electorate proves that, despite the election of hundreds of blacks to public office, whites still hold all the levels of political power."--John Dittmer, author of __Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi__ No one disagrees that 1964--Freedom Summer--forever changed the political landscape of Mississippi. How those changes played out is the subject of Chris Danielson’s fascinating new book, __After Freedom Summer__. Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, black voter participation in Mississippi was practically zero. After twenty years, black candidates had made a number of electoral gains. Simultaneously, white resistance had manifested itself in growing Republican dominance of the state. Danielson demonstrates how race--not class or economics--was the dominant factor in white Mississippi voters' partisan realignment, even as he reveals why class and economics played a role in the tensions between the national NAACP and the local Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (an offshoot of SNCC) that limited black electoral gains. Using an impressive array of newspaper articles, legal cases, interviews, and personal papers, Danielson's work helps fill a growing lacuna in the study of post-civil rights politics in the South. A brilliant history of black politics and white resistance in postcivil rights era Mississippi. Danielsons work helps to fill the yawning gap in the black politics historiography between the Black Power movement and contemporary black politics. Additionally he makes a critical contribution to the literature of the racial realignment of the two major political parties. A must-read!G. Derek Musgrove, University of the District of Columbia A sobering account of what happened after the singing and marching stopped. Danielsons masterful analysis of Mississippis racially divided electorate proves that, despite the election of hundreds of blacks to public office, whites still hold all the levels of political power.John Dittmer, author of Local The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi No one disagrees that 1964Freedom Summerforever changed the political landscape of Mississippi. How those changes played out is the subject of Chris Danielsons fascinating new book, After Freedom Summer. Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, black voter participation in Mississippi was practically zero.Aftertwenty years, black candidates had made a number of electoral gains. Simultaneously, white resistance had manifested itself in growing Republican dominance of the state. ?Danielson demonstrates how racenot class or economicswas the dominant factor in white Mississippi voters partisan realignment, even as he reveals why class and economics played a role in the tensions between the national NAACP and the local Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (an offshoot of SNCC) that limited black electoral gains. Using an impressive array of newspaper articles, legal cases, interviews, and personal papers, Danielsons work helps fill a growing lacuna in the study of postcivil rights politics in the South. Chris Danielson is assistant professor of history at Montana Tech University. Black Politics in Mississippi to 1965 Plates of Silver, Plates of Mud : 1965-1970 Gubernatorial Fantasies and Gradual Gains Fused But Not Healed Reapportionment : Giving Clark Some Company The Class of 1979 and the Second Generation of Black Political Power Lead into Gold? : The Alchemy of County Redistricting City Wards and Jacksonian Democracy The Delta District and the Continuing Politics of Race Epilogue: Javitses into Eastlands, Eastlands into Barbours.