Social and cultural history Books

Book SynopsisFive centuries before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, indigenous North Americans had already built Cahokia, a vast urban center on the banks of the Mississippi River where East St Louis is today. This book tells the story of a struggle to protect the site from the encroachment of interstate highways and urban sprawl.Trade Review"The first-ever book for general readers about [Cahokia]... To say it's a long awaited book, then, is to test the limits of understatement; but it's nice to be able to say that it was worth waiting for. It's a terrific science book, and just a plain good read, even for those of us who don't know any more about archaeology than we've picked up from Indiana Jones... It's something of a miracle that so coherent, balanced, comprehensible and good-natured an account could have found expression from the scattered, elusive, hit-and-miss, disputatious, intuitive, ungenerous, turf- jealous science that has occurred at Cahokia." - Arkansas Times "Much of this engaging volume is a first-hand account of 50 years of research by pioneers in Mississippian archaeology. The great discoveries at Cahokia come alive along with the people who made them. Fowler and Young provide a wonderfully human account of site preservation and scientific revelation." -- Mark Michel, American Archaeology "Brings to life all the mysteries of the place as well as the dramatic unfolding of its discovery... The first accessible, in-depth account of its history, discovery, and excavation... All of what a book should be for those interested in archaeology and how the field has evolved over the past couple of centuries... Yet the book is more than this. It is a book in love with history and science. And there's great drama in these pages... Cahokia chronicles the slow discovery process in great, yet concise, detail... An engaging and exciting book." - Peter Sherman, Illinois Times "A layman's introduction to Cahokia's layout, daily life, and place in history. These eighty pages could be read as a separate publication and alone are worth the price of the volume. Readers interested in all three stories can read the book through; others can pick the topics that interest them most. No one will be disappointed." -- Frederick E. Hoxie, Michigan Historical Review "Focuses on the life of an archaeological investigation, which in the case of Cahokia has been long and complex... An entertaining and very readable account of Cahokia for the layman as well as those readers knowledgeable about prehistory and the field of archaeology." -- Jo Anne Nast, Journal of Illinois History ADVANCE PRAISE "Enlightening and entertaining."-Thomas Emerson, coauthor of Cahokia and the Hinterlands

Read more less

Book SynopsisPolitics has always been an integral part of the Olympics. This title discusses the intended and actual meaning of the modern Olympic Games, from 1896 to 2000. It demonstrates that the modern games were revived to propagate a political message and continue to serve political purposes.Trade Review"Guttmann is an excellent scholar, and his bibliographical essay remains an excellent source material for research." -- Choice "In a thoroughly revised and updated study, [Guttmann] traces the history of the modern Olympics from 1896 to 2000, contrasting the ideal of the game with the often politicized reality." -- Books and More for Growing Minds REVIEWS from the 1st edition: "Here is a book that is as readable as it is profound, casting a majestic sweep over the Games from 1896." -- G. E. Murray, Sporting Traditions "A wonderfully insightful, judicious, and interpretative essay." -- Steve Gietschier, Sporting News "Guttmann, one of the finest historians of sport in the United States and Europe, and a recognized authority on the Olympics, has produced a sound, readable narrative that will appeal to scholars as well as to general readers." -- Randy Roberts, co-author of Winning Is the Only Thing: Sports in America since 1945

Read more less

Book Synopsis Along the Color Line is a diverse collection of essays by two of the most accomplished historians of the modern African American experience, first published more than a quarter of a century ago. This informed study addresses such topics as black nationalism, nonviolent action, the changing patterns of interracial violence in the twentieth century, and the ways African American leaders have functioned and coped with racism in their quest to ensure the rights of full citizenship for African Americans. David Levering Lewis’s foreword to this first paperback edition attests to the book’s lasting relevance and importance. “Meier and Rudwick’s intellectual passion, professional integrity, and almost manic involvement in virtually every aspect of their academic specialty were of inestimable value to the coming of age of African American history.” -- from the foreword Trade Review"Meier and Rudwick's intellectual passion, professional integrity, and almost manic involvement in virtually every aspect of their academic specialty were of inestimable value to the coming of age of African American history." -- from the foreword

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom Frederick Douglass onwards, the preoccupation of black writers with manhood and masculinity is a constant. This title explores how in their own work three major African American writers contest classic portrayals of black men in earlier literature, from slave narratives through the great novels of Richard Wright and Ralph Ellison.Trade Review"A significant study for helping us hear more clearly the 'voices of countless native and invisible sons'."--American LiteratureTable of ContentsCoverTitleCopyrightContentsAcknowledgments1. Countering the Counterdiscourse: Subject Formation and the Aesthetics of Black Masculinist Protest Discourse since 19402. The Perilous Journey to a Brother’s Country: James Baldwin and the Rigors of Community3. Reimagining Richard: Ernest J. Gaines and the Neo-Masculinist Literary Imagination4. Race, Ritual, Reconnection, Reclamation: August Wilson and the Refiguration of the Male Dramatic SubjectConclusionNotesWorks CitedIndexBack cover

Read more less

Book SynopsisFollowing on the heels of the Harlem Renaissance, the Chicago Renaissance was a resonant flourishing of African American arts, literature, theatre, music, and intellectualism, from 1930 to 1955. This work demonstrates the complexity of black women's many vital contributions to this unique cultural flowering.Trade ReviewReceived the Superior Achievement Award by the Illinois State Historical Society (2007)."This is an important and significant study. It clarifies the established links among artists, academics, activists, and community and illuminates the gendered dynamics of a localized renaissance that resonated nationally."--American Historical Review"The composite parts of Knupfer's work are overwhemingly impressive . . . Chicago may remain arguably the most overstudied city . . . yet Knupfer's innovations in subject matter, source material, and synthesis suggest that the City of the Big Shoulders has whole new layers of weight to carry."--Journal of American History"Anne Meis Knupfer's important volume. . . . provides a significant contribution to the historical literature on African American women's activism."--Indiana Magazine of History

Read more less

Book SynopsisUsing oral history interviews and citrus company records, this book argues that Mexican Americans helped lay the groundwork for civil rights struggles and electoral campaigns in the post-World War II era. It also shows how Mexicans transformed leisure spaces into politicized spaces where workers voiced their grievances and built solidarity.Trade Review"A lively narrative that makes a solid contribution to Mexican American and U.S. labor history. Alamillo adds a fresh voice to our knowledge of how and why Mexican American political action blossomed in the latter half of the twentieth century."--Aztlan: A Journal of Chicano Studies "Alamillo's work is an important contribution to the field. In describing how leisure activities helped create bonds of community solidarity, Alamillo adds an important dimension to our knowledge of Mexican American history and California history. . . . This book demonstrates how community-based oral history techniques can breathe new life into the writing of history." --American Historical Review"Making Lemonade out of Lemons, an engaging community study of a Southern California citrus town, shifts attention to the leisure hours of pickers and packers, the realm where they exercised the most autonomy over their lives. . . . Alamillo uses oral interviews and local newspapers to reconstruct the vibrant social and cultural life that working men and women erected out of their employer's earshot."--Journal of American Ethnic History"In this rich social history of the Mexican community of Corona, California, Jose M. Alamillo develops the literal and metaphorical power of a cliché. . . . Alamillo masterfully weaves a gendered analysis of labor, leisure, and household into his description of the ethnic Mexican community. . . . Making Lemonade Out of Lemons underscores the importance of Chicano/a history to understand the American West. Alamillo succeeds in adding the element of race to the development of industrial agriculture in the urbanizing West." --Western Historical Quarterly"Alamillo's study teaches lessons on processes of social change and the shifting formation of racial, ethnic, gender, and class identities. Further, the book's analysis provides insight on the creativity and persistence which subjugated groups rely upon to actualize social equality. . . . This book has been necessary for a good while. . . . Alamillo fills part of the considerable literature gap on Latina/Latino and US Southwestern community and labour history." --Left History

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe significance of news and the institutions that produce it to American historyTrade Review“In twelve beautifully written essays, David Paul Nord examines journalism as a vital component of communities. . . . Communities of Journalism is among the best thought-provoking books to be published in our field. It is a ‘must’ for anyone who researches and teaches mass media history.”--Journalism History

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn updated version of a fiery classicTrade Review"Trotter blazed new ground, courageously argued his thesis despite the skeptical eyes of non-Marxists, seamlessly connected local, urban, black, and labor history, and skillfully recounted the ways that black Milwaukeeans forged their own lives. . . . The second edition is well worth reading."--H-Urban"Thanks to its original methodology, outstanding research and meticulous attention to detail Black Milwaukee has become a seminal work in labour history."--Left History“This highly readable book is a classic, and rightly so, in the interconnected areas of labor, black, and urban history.”--Labor Studies Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn May 15, 1916, a crowd of 15,000 witnessed the lynching of an 18-year-old black farm worker named Jesse Washington. Most central Texans of the time failed to call for the punishment of the mob's leaders. This work seeks to explain how a culture of violence that nourished this practice could form and endure for so long among ordinary people.Trade ReviewWinner of the Richard L. Wentworth Prize in American History, 2005.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn amazingly rich window onto a lost world of African American historyTrade Review"A fascinating chronicle. . . . It warms the heart and soothes the soul of people thirsting for a broader sense of identity."--Philadelphia Inquirer

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBecoming Mexican in early-twentieth-century ChicagoTrade Review“Arredondo paints a portrait of Mexican Chicago in the early 20th century, focusing on five zones of contact: housing patterns, work and labor relations, politics, commerce, and heterosocial relations. Recommended”--Choice“This volume enriches a substantial body of literature in Chicana/o urban history ... [and] it stands out from other publications by its consciously middle-class focus and concern with identity issues.”--American Historical Review"Mexican Chicago is elegantly written and deeply researched in a wide range of sources. . . . [It] contributes to the growing scholarship on Mexican Americans outside the Southwest and enlivens the discussion about immigration, race, and identity."--Journal of American History

Read more less

Book SynopsisA history of legendary Copper Canyon treasure seekers and enigmatic natives. This book offers a look into the ways of the resilient indigenous culture in the Americas, the exploits of Mexican mountaineers, and the parade of argonauts and accidental travelers who have journeyed into the Sierra Madre over centuries.Trade ReviewWinner of the Gold medal in the Travel Essays Category for the 2006 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards contest. "An astonishing sojourn into a remote region."--Booklist"In the Sierra Madre introduces us to a host of idiosyncratic customs, numerous unforgettable characters, and situations that only a traveler of this ilk could manage. Biggers is the quintessential observer, with the eye and voice of a poet."--San Antonio Express-News"For those interested in living culture, this book offers a treasury of anecdotes of the clash and blend of old and new."--Guadalajara Reporter“Half a century after the release of the film, Jeff Biggers brings home the true treasure of the Sierra Madre: its stories. Biggers weaves a tapestry of intertwined tales that sheds light on this little-known region. Warm-hearted and compassionate, these stories bring to life the Raramuri.” --Michael Shapiro, author of A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk about Their Craft, Lives, and Inspiration“Once every generation a book comes along that captures the stunning terrain and hidden life of Mexico’s remote western Sierra Madre. In the Sierra Madre is that book for this generation. Jeff Biggers has seen the strange and remarkable that the rest of us can only imagine.”--Tom Miller, author of The Panama Hat Trail and On the Border"Jeff Biggers has the keenest eye in the business, and he has a fine, luminous voice to tell you what he has seen. This is a welcome addition to western and Mexican letters. Biggers manages to write like a poet, a historian, a naturalist, and an adventurer. His pages are burnished and alive, and I admire his work. You need to read this one soon."--Luis Urrea, author of The Hummingbird's Daughter and The Devil's Highway

Read more less

Book SynopsisA harrowing account of Jewish refugees in the PhilippinesTrade Review“The book’s riveting centerpiece combines military history and personal horror to describe the Battle of Manila. . . . Burned out of their homes, Jews roam the streets with other civilians, seeking safe havens, crouching to dodge bullets, hiding in holes dug in the ground covered with corrugated roofing. . . . Escape to Manila . . . enables readers to know and feel the fires.”--Hadassah Magazine"Ephraim has constructed a fascinating narrative from a rich mix of archival research, oral history, and autobiographical memoir. He offers us a stirring portrait of a community of resourceful, resilient, courageous, and compassionate individuals."--Michael Shapiro, director, Program in Jewish Culture and Society, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign"The vignettes and first person histories make for very interesting reading."--Jewish Book WorldTable of ContentsForeword by Stanley Karnow; Acknowledgments; Prologue 1. Destination: The Philippines; 2. Unexpected Arrivals; 3. The First Wave of Refugees; 4. Manila Hears about Kristallnacht; 5. Mindanao: A Plan for Jewish Settlement; 6. Establishing a Life; 7. What Does the Future Hold for Us?; 8. Carving Out a Niche; 9. War; 10. Occupation; 11. Can We Hold Out?; 12. The Final Months of Occupation; 13. The Battle; 14. Reestablishing the Community; 15. Leaving the Philippines Notes; Index; Illustrations

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiverse perspectives on midwestern Native American communitiesTrade Review“Excellent for advanced Indian studies courses. Highly recommended.”--Choice"Edmunds has compiled an important synthesis of significant historical themes."--Kansas History“A major contribution to the literature on the history of native peoples of the Midwest.”--Annals of Iowa“A solid and needed addition to the historiography of Native peoples in the Great Lakes region.”--Western Historical Quarterly"A collection of some of the best scholarship on a region that has long had its own identity and Indian history. This collection illuminates and underscores the special quality and distinctive issues that characterize the Native American heartland."--Frederick E. Hoxie, coeditor of Lewis and Clark and the Indian Country: The Native American Perspective"An exceptional volume, Enduring Nations gives form and substance to Indian-white relations in the Midwest in the absence of a single monograph or synthesis on the subject. This collection provides easy access to significant issues and themes and will be widely adopted for classroom use."--R. Douglas Hurt, author of The Indian Frontier, 1763-1846

Read more less

Book Synopsis Blaxploitation action narratives as well as politically radical films likeSweet Sweetback''s Baadasssss Songtypically portrayed black women as trifling 'bitches' compared to the supermacho black male heroes. But starting in 1973, the emergence of 'baad bitches' and 'sassy supermamas' reversed the trend as self-assured, empowered, and tough black women took the lead in the filmsCleopatra Jones, Coffy,andFoxy Brown. Stephane Dunn unpacks the intersecting racial, sexual, and gender politics underlying the representations of racialized bodies, masculinities, and femininities in early 1970s black action films, with particular focus on the representation of black femininity. Recognizing a distinct moment in the history of African American representation in popular cinema, Dunn analyzes how it emerged from a radical political era influenced by the Black Power movement and feminism. Dunn also engages blaxploitation''s legacy in contemporary hip-hop culture, aTrade Review "Intellectually stimulating and immediately accessible."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution “Using a variety of informal polls, surveys, and friend-girl networks, Dunn reconstitutes the very nature of the female gaze for postmodern Black women.”--Multicultural Review "An irreverent and well-intentioned appeal to rethink how we talk about black women in popular culture as capable of being both sexy blues women and erudite thinkers."--Journal of American Ethnic History "With insightful perspectives and sharp analysis, "Baad Bitches" & Sassy Supermamas offers a critical reexamination of sexualized film representations of African American women, and sheds much-needed light on historical constructions of masculinity, femininity, and sexuality."--Journal of African American History"An essential companion to the black film studies genre. Recommended."--Library Journal"With trenchant intellect and sassiness that is only matched by the larger-than-life characters she examines throughout "Baad Bitches" and Sassy Supermamas: Black Power Action Films, Stephane Dunn provides a fresh perspective on intersections of gender and sexuality within blaxploitation-era black film. This is a very important addition to scholarship in African American cultural studies, gender and sexuality studies, and American studies."--Mark Anthony Neal, author of New Black Man: Rethinking Black MasculinityTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction: Race, Gender, and Black Action Fantasy 1. The Pleasure of Looking: Black Female Spectatorship and the Supermama Heroine 2. Black Power and the New Baad Cinema 3. What's Sex and Women Got to Do with It? Sexual Politics and Revolution in Sweetback and The Spook 4. Race, Gender, and Sexual Power in Cleopatra Jones 5. Sexing the Supermama: Racial and Gender Power in Coffy and Foxy Brown Afterword: Superbaad for the Twenty-First-Century Screen Notes Works Cited Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis dynamic collection documents the rich and varied history of social dance and the multiple styles it has generated, while drawing on some of the most current forms of critical and theoretical inquiry. The essays cover different historical periods and styles; encompass regional influences from North and South America, Britain, Europe, and Africa; and emphasize a variety of methodological approaches, including ethnography, anthropology, gender studies, and critical race theory. While social dance is defined primarily as dance performed by the public in ballrooms, clubs, dance halls, and other meeting spots, contributors also examine social dance’s symbiotic relationship with popular, theatrical stage dance forms.Contributors are Elizabeth Aldrich, Barbara Cohen-Stratyner, Yvonne Daniel, Sherril Dodds, Lisa Doolittle, David F. García, Nadine George-Graves, Jurretta Jordan Heckscher, Constance Valis Hill, Karen W. Hubbard, Tim Lawrence, Julie Malnig, Carol Trade Review"Contributors to this important new collection offer scholarship that helps us to hear, feel, and imagine that transformation through the ongoing story of American social and popular dance practices."--Dance Research Journal“Malnig makes a significant contribution to the field of dance studies with this impressive, long-overdue investigation into the rich world of vernacular dance traditions. . . . Highly recommended.”--Choice"This extraordinary collection of essays brings to the forefront the transformative power of social and popular dance as well as its profound impact in shaping American culture and history over the past two centuries."--Dance Chronicle"This well-researched and balanced classroom tool looks inside genres like ragtime, dance marathons and krumping, and its iconic photographs will help readers further understand each style."--Dance Teacher“An incredibly needed volume for undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, and advisors in the field of dance. These essays afford compelling glimpses into communities dancing in particular places and times; the authors provide nuanced understandings of dancing as a means of forming identity and community.”--Ann Dils, coeditor of Moving History/Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader“This invaluable volume covers an impressive range of genres, illuminating the liveliness and diversity of social dance. The book makes a unique contribution at a time when the field of dance studies is expanding to include forms other than Euro-American concert dance. An excellent book and a godsend for classroom use.”--Tricia Henry Young, director of the graduate program in American dance studies, Florida State UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi Introduction / Julie Malnig 1SECTION 1 / HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS 1. Our National Poetry / The Afro-Chesapeake Inventions of American Dance 19 Jurretta Jordan Heckscher 2. The Civilizing of America's Ballrooms / The Revolutionary War to 1890 36 Elizabeth Aldrich 3. "Just Like Being at the Zoo" / Primitivity and Ragtime Dance 55 Nadine George-Graves 4. Apaches, Tangos, and Other Indecencies / Women, Dance, and New York Nightlife of the 1910s 72 Julie MalnigSECTION 2 / EVOLVING STYLES 5. Reality Dance / American Dance Marathons 93 Carol Martin 6. The Trianon and On / Reading Mass Social Dancing in the 1930s and 1940s in Alberta, Canada 109 Lisa Doolittle 7. Negotiating Compromise on a Burnished Wood Floor / Social Dancing at the Savoy 126 Karen Hubbard and Terry Monaghan 8. Rumba Then and Now / Quindembo 146 Yvonne Daniel 9. Embodying Music/Disciplining Dance / The mambo Body in Havana and New York City 165 David F. Garcia 10. Rocking Around the Clock / Teenage Dance Fads from 1955 to 1965 182 Tim Wall 11. Beyond the Hustle / 1970s Social Dancing, Discotheque Culture, and the Emergence of the Contemporary Club Dancer 199 Tim LawrenceSECTION 3 / THEATRICALIZATIONS OF SOCIAL DANCE FORMS 12. "A Thousand Raggy, Draggy Dances" / Social Dance in Broadway Musical Comedy in the 1920s 217 Barbara Cohen-Stratyner 13. From Bharata Natyam to Bop / Jack Cole's "Modern" Jazz Dance 234 Constance Valis Hill 14. From Busby Berkeley to Madonna / Music Video and Popular Dance 247 Sherril Dodds 15. The Dance Archaeology of Rennie Harris / Hip-Hop or Postmodern? 261 Halifu OsumareSECTION 4 / THE CONTEMPORARY SCENE 16. "C'mon to My House" / Underground House Dancing 285 Sally R. Sommer 17. Dancing Latin/Latin Dancing / Salsa and Dancesport 302 Juliet McMains 18. Louisiana Gumbo / Retention, Creolization, and Innovation in Contemporary Cajun and Zydeco Dance 323 May Gwin Waggoner 19. The Multiringed Cosmos of Krumping / Hip-Hop Dance at the Intersections of Battle, Media, and Spirit 337 Christina Zanfagna Contributors 355 Index 361

Read more less

Book SynopsisExploring the past, present, and future of ethnic Mexicans in CaliforniaTrade Review"Informative and well written, this anthology contains substantive explorations of issues that deeply affect the daily lives and experience of Latino/as in the United States today."--Suzanne Oboler, founding editor of Latino Studies and coeditor in chief of the four-volume Oxford Encyclopedia on Latinos and Latinas in the United States

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the first anthologies to focus on Mexican dance practices on both sides of the borderTrade Review"This stimulating collection expands our understanding of Mexican dance's significance by employing dance as a prism through which to view broader sociocultural issues and meaning. It sets a new standard for anthropological dance studies far beyond its U.S.-Mexico focus."--Daniel Sheehy, author of Mariachi Music in America: Experiencing Music, Expressing CultureTable of ContentsAcknowledgments xi Introduction xiiiOlga Najera-Ramirez, Norma E. Cantu, and Brenda M. RomeroPart I: Contested Identities 1. Embodied Recuperations: Performance, Indigeneity, and Danza Azteca 3 Elisa Diana Huerta 2. The Zapopan Dancers: Reinventing an Indigenous Line of Descent 19 Renee de la Torre Castellanos 3. La Feria de Enero: Rethinking Gender in a Ritual Festival 48 Xochitl C. Chavez 4. Dancing to "Whittier Boulevard": Choreographing Social Identity 66 Marie "Keta" Miranda 5. Creating Agency and Identity in Danza Azteca 80 Maria Teresa CesenaPart II: Dimensions of Space and Place 6. The Semiotics of Land and Place: Matachines Dancing in Laredo, Texas 97 Norma E. Cantu 7. Dancing to the Heights: Performing Zapotec Identity, Aesthetics, and Religiosity 116 Adriana Cruz-Manjarrez 8. Traditional Dances of the Sierra Norte of Puebla: Identity and Gender Relations 138 Alberto Zarate Rosales 9. Por Que Estas Aqui?: Dancing through History, Identity, and the Politics of Place in Butoh Ritual Mexicano 148 Shakina Nayfack 10. El Baile de los Elotes: The Corn Dance 165 Jose Sanchez JimenezPart III: Trajectories of Tradition 11. The Matachines Danza as Intercultural Discourse 185 Brenda M. Romero 12. The Ballet Folklorico de Mexico and the Construction of the Mexican Nation through Dance 206 Sydney Hutchinson 13. Dancing Culture: A Personal Perspective on Folklorico 226 Rudy F. Garcia 14. The Mexican Danzon: Restrained Sensuality 237 Susan Cashion 15. Gender as a Theme in the Modern Dance Choreography of Barro Rojo 256 Nancy Lee Chalfa RuyterPart IV: Politics of Traditional and Innovation 16. Staging Authenticty: Theorizing the Development of Mexican Folklorico Dance 277 Olga Najera-Ramirez 17. Dance, Politics, and Cultural Tourism in Oaxaca's Guelgauetza 293 Chris Goerizen 18. Bailando para San Lorenzo: Nuevo Mexicano Popular Traditional Musics, Ritual Contexts, and Dancing during Bernalillo Fiesta Time 318 Peter J. Garcia 19. Folklorico in the United States: Cultural Preservation and Disillusion 335 Russell Rodriguez 20. Zapateado Afro-Chicana Fandango Style: Self-Reflective Moments in Zapateado 359 Martha Gonzalez Epilogue 379 Selected Bibliography on Folk, Ritual, and Social Dance in Greater Mexico 383 Works Cited 403 Contributors 431 Index 437

Read more less

Book SynopsisAccessible, theoretical readings of popular African American women film iconsTrade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2011. "[A] remarkable, straightforward book. . . . Mask interrogates the star personae of each of her subjects with a rigor that is unique and as refreshing as it is accessible and well written. Mask's cultural critique of her subjects and the world in which they operate resonates long after one has finished the volume. Highly recommended."--Choice"An original and imaginative work that is full of intellectual energy, insight, and engaged writing."--Hazel V. Carby, author of Cultures in Babylon: Black Britain and African America"Mia Mask deftly weaves the lines of inquiry, theory, popular culture, and history while making the complex lives of these amazing, charismatic black women accessible and understandable in fresh conceptual ways."--Ed Guerrero, author of Framing Blackness: The African American Image in Film

Read more less

Book SynopsisMoving beyond catfish and collard greens to the soul of African American cookingTrade Review“A quick and enjoyable read that is informative about the relationships between food, culture, and defining moments in world, southern, and African American history.”--The Journal of Southern History"This fascinating book reveals a little-known history and ties it to present-day values. It is well written and accessible to a general audience, for whom it is highly recommended."--Multicultural Review "Anne L. Bower has compiled a very tasty collection of essays into which the historian or food lover can really sink his teeth. . . . The essays provide an expansive and interdisciplinary view of African American culinary history as well as insight into the current trends in what is more generally known as 'soul food.' "--Southern Historian"African American Foodways: Exploration of History & Culture is a must read for anyone interested in the influence of history and culture on how foods are produced, collected, stored, prepared, and consumed. It is an excellent resource for those interested in food and its connection to identity and will be an absolute delight for anyone who may have thought the tern 'soul food' was inclusive of the many meanings attached to food by African Americans and others."--Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences"An exquisite mélange of American and black history; famous black Americans and people they served; allusions to jazz, poetry, rap, stories, and literature; and food traditions make up this credible, readable book. . . . Recommended."--Choice"Bower's reputation in the study of African American foodways is already very significant, and this achievement will only add to it. With subjects ranging from soul food to cookbooks, the writers in this volume will change our thinking about African American food and culture."--Sherrie A. Inness, author of Secret Ingredients: Race, Gender, and Class at the Dinner TableTable of ContentsAcknowledgments / ix Introduction: Watching Soul Food Anne L. Bower / 1 PART ONE: THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FOOD 1. Food Crops, Medicinal Plants, and the Atlantic Slave Trade Robert L. Hall / 17 2. Soul Food as Cultural Creation William C. Whit / 45 3. Excavating the South's African American Food History Anne Yentsch / 59 PART TWO: REPRESENTATIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FOOD 4. From Fiction to Foodways: Working at the Intersections of African American Literary and Culinary Studies Doris Witt / 101 5. Chickens and Chains: Using African American Foodways to Understand Black Identities Psyche Williams-Forson / 126 6. Recipes for Respect: Black Hospitality Entrepreneurs before World War 1 Rafia Zafar / 139 7. Recipes for History: The National Council of Negro Women's Five Historical Cookbooks Anne L. Bower / 153 Contributors / 175 Index / 177

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamining the material conditions of race and its relation to class and genderTrade Review"Emphasizing the material bases of racial dynamics and the interplay among race, class, and gender, this stimulating volume provides a challenge and an analytical alternative to contemporary postmodernist discussions of race."--James B. Stewart, coauthor of Introduction to African American Studies: Transdisciplinary Approaches and Implications"A provocative, integrative approach to looking at race that takes capitalism seriously. The contributors utilize a range of methodological tools to discuss and analyze race, arguing that race and racial divisions go hand-in-hand with the political economy of capitalism and with globalization today."--James Jennings, editor of Race, Neighborhoods, and the Misuse of Social CapitalTable of ContentsIntroduction viiPart 1. Racial Structures 1PART 1 READING QUESTIONS 6 1. The Changing Same: Black Racial Formation and Transformation as a Theory of the African American Experience 9Sundiata Keita Cha-JuaCHAPTER 1 READING QUESTIONS 39 2. Capitalism, Race, and Evolution in Imperial Britain, 1850-1900 48Theodore KoditschekCHAPTER 2 READING QUESTIONS 72 3. Globalization and the Cycle of Violence in Africa 80Tola Olu PearceCHAPTER 3 READING QUESTIONS 95 4. White without End? The Abolition of Whiteness; or, The Rearticulation of Race 98David RoedigerCHAPTER 4 READING QUESTIONS 108Part 2. Racial Ideology and Identity 111PART 2 READING QUESTIONS 114 5. Rationalizing the Racial Order: Racial Color-Blindness as a Legitimizing Ideology 115Helen A. NevilleCHAPTER 5 READING QUESTIONS 134 6. Race, Theory, and Scholarship in the Biracial Project 138Minkah MakalaniCHAPTER 6 READING QUESTIONS 153 7. Sociopsychological Processes in Racial Formation: A-Case Study of the Autobiographies of Former Black Panther Party Members 158Monica M. WhiteCHAPTER 7 READING QUESTIONS 177 8. Benjamin Brawley and the Aesthetics of Racial Uplift 179Jeffrey WilliamsCHAPTER 8 READING QUESTIONS 200Part 3. Struggle 205PART 3 READING QUESTIONS 210 9. Organizing from the Margins: Japanese American Communists in Los Angeles during the Great Depression 211Scott KurashigeCHAPTER 9 READING QUESTIONS 227 10. Between Civil Rights, Black Power, and the Mason-Dixon Line: A Case Study of Black Freedom Movement Militancy in the Gateway City 231Clarence LangCHAPTER 10 READING QUESTIONS 255 11. Common Legacies, Similar Futures: African American and Latino Studies 260Pedro CabanCHAPTER 11 READING QUESTIONS 282 12. "Livin' Just Enough for the City": An Essay on the Politics of Acquiring Food, Shelter, and Health in Urban America 286David CrockettCHAPTER 12 READING QUESTIONS 304 Conclusion 307 Glossary: Race Struggles 317 Contributors 325 Index 329

Read more less

Book SynopsisAmid America's sugar industry, a bitter debate over imperialism and immigrationTrade ReviewWinner of the Richard L. Wentworth/Illinois Award in American History, 2010. "A compelling account of the deeply interconnected worlds created by the emergence of a new cash crop."--American Historical Review“Mapes has uncovered patterns of global trade and labor markets that have had a profound impact on American society from the turn of the twentieth century up to the present day.”--Michigan Historical Review "A very nuanced yet powerful examination of the triumph of industrialism over agricultural America."--The Annals of Iowa“Mapes tells the understudied sugar beet industry’s fascinating story, and links events in Michigan between 1899 and 1940 to the broader national and global considerations. . . . Recommended.”--Choice"A fascinating work that provides important information about the history of agriculture and the construction of the term 'factories in the field' and its connections with the American empire. This book should become a mainstay among works in ethnic studies, agricultural labor, corporate power, and the state."--Gilbert G. Gonzalez, author of Culture of Empire: American Writers, Mexico, and Mexican Immigrants, 1880-1930"Fascinating and beautifully crafted, Sweet Tyranny places growers, workers, and processors at the center of national debates over immigration, imperialism, protectionism, child labor, and a living wage."--Cindy Hahamovitch, author of The Fruits of Their Labor: Atlantic Coast Farmworkers and the Making of Migrant Poverty, 1870-1945

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe voices of ordinary women in China's War of Resistance against JapanTrade ReviewHong Kong Book Prize (for Chinese translation), 2014. "Prefaced with thoughtful analysis and commentary by the author, transcripts of interviews with twenty subjects feature a range of voices that together weave a multilayered and gendered narrative of China's wartime history, while offering refreshing insights into the nature of suffering, survival, and resistance during times of war and national crisis."--The Historian"A fascinating glimpse into a long-neglected aspect of Chinese history and the history of World War II."--Asian Affairs: An American Review"The contributions of Echoes of Chongqing are so substantial that it is sure to be a foundational text for future studies of gender and the war, state and society in wartime China, and the history of Chongqing."--Nan Nü"The stories of how women struggled and suffered in order to survive and support their families in Chongqing during China's War of Resistance against Japan rewrites historical understanding of the roles played by ordinary people in wartime and highlights the voices of women which, until now, have been largely neglected in scholarship on the war."--H-HistGeog"Danke Li's remarkable collection ... is a timely and welcome contribution to the fast-growing field of the study of wartime China."--The China Quarterly"An excellent source through which to understand how warfare affected the lives of ordinary people in East Asia in the 1930s and 1940s. Highly recommended."--Choice"This insightful study reveals the complex nature of the changes brought by war not only on gender relations, but also on Chinese society, culture, politics, and economics. A major contribution to the study of Chinese history."--Christina Kelley Gilmartin, author of Engendering the Chinese Revolution: Radical Women, Communist Politics, and Mass Movements in the 1920sTable of ContentsAcknowledgments; Introduction: History, Women, and China's War of Resistance against Japan; Part I: The War and Gender's Social Roles; Prologue; Students; A Xiajiang Woman; A Doctor's Wife; A Girl of the ZZEB; A Teacher of the ZZEB; A Woman from a Rich and Powerful Family; Women from Poor Peasant Families; Part II: The War and Gender's Economic Impact; Prologue; Daughters; A Tailor's Wife; An Abandoned Housewife; A Minsheng Employee; A Yuhua Textile Factory Worker; A Woman of the Songji Experimental Zone; Part III: The War and Gender's Political Impact; Prologue; A Communist Woman Working for the XYCZFZW; A Student Revolutionary; A Jiuguohui Woman; An Underground CCP Member; Part IV: Women, Memory, and China's War of Resistance against Japan; Epilogue; Notes; References; Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA new edition of the classic study of slave life in the American SouthTrade ReviewCo-winner of the Chicago Folklore Prize. Winner of the Eugene M. Kayden Award, 1985. "Beautifully written and richly suggestive."--Washington Post Book World"Reaches beyond any other single work in recreating in its pages a texture so fine and full that readers may feel the ribs and twills of slave life. Highest recommendation."--Library Journal"The finest work ever written on American slavery."--George P. Rawick, editor of The American Slave: A Composite Autobiography"Down By the Riverside is one of the most significant books published by the University of Illinois Press in the past quarter century."--Richard L. Wentworth, former director of the University of Illinois PressTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Introduction to the 25th Anniversary Edition Prologue Chapter One. "Down by the Riverside" Chapter Two. "All Dem Rice Field" Chapter Three. "Sit at the Welcome Table" Chapter Four. "Off Times" Chapter Five. "Come by Here, Lord" Chapter Six. "All De Bes' Story" Chapter Seven. Gullah: A Creole Language Chapter Eight. "My Time Up with You" Epilogue Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisReflections from the legendary R & B deejay whose signature sound seared the airwavesTrade Review"Montague's undeniable energy and passion for life leap from the pages."--Los Angeles Sentinel"Montague! Dynamic! Understanding! A brother in the struggle! Yes, the Magnificent Montague! A man who commanded so much love and respect it will never, never, never be replaced. Take it from the Godfather of Soul, paying homage to the Don of Radio: This book tells it all."--James Brown"Webster defines 'magnificent' as splendid, superb, noble--truly a description of Montague. He was splendid in his ability to captivate the listening audience, superb in his role as a community leader, and noble in the way he showed young people how to move through life with class. As I looked up these definitions, I thought to myself, 'Webster must have known my friend Montague.' I'm so glad he was around during the infancy years at Motown. What a blessing he was to so many of us."--Smokey Robinson"The only sustained account by a black deejay who lived through the harshly segregated world of the 1950s and the explosive civil rights era of the 1960s. This book is a valuable contribution to the literature of black life and history."--Robert Pruter, author of Chicago Soul and Doowop: The Chicago SceneTable of ContentsIntroduction, by Bob Baker xi Prologue 1 1. The Hustle 13 2. The Groove 27 3. The Rhythm 36 4. The Book 51 5. The Movement 74 6. The Apple 86 7. The Boy 102 8. The Man 110 9. The Riot 123 10. The Residue 136 11. The Climb 154 12. The Collection 169 Index 185Illustrations follow pages 50 and 122

Read more less

Book SynopsisShows how studying the women's music festivals provides insights into the role of music and lesbian community formation. This book argues that the women's music festival is a significant institutional site for the emergence of black feminist consciousness in the contemporary period.Trade Review"Written with candor and humor, Hayes's study models a welcome, crucial, and decisive turn in scholarship on women's music. Recommended."--Choice"This is the book we've been waiting for. Hayes provides valuable interrogations of the internal and external politics around race, gender, sexuality, culture, and the formations of black feminist consciousness that can make or break a social movement." --Kimberly Springer, author of Living for the Revolution: Black Feminist Organizations, 1968–1980"Exhibiting multiple sites of influence and authorities, the first chapter, 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman Festigoer,' is one of the most engaging ethnographies I have read. Who can resist a scholar who isn't afraid to talk about serious matters via one of the highest forms of intelligence: humor?"--Guthrie P. Ramsey Jr., author of Race Music: Black Cultures from Bebop to Hip-Hop"This book is amazingly fresh and confident. Certainly there is nothing like it in ethnomusicology."--Deborah Wong, author of Speak It Louder: Asian Americans Making Music

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers perspectives on black history - its scholarship and pedagogy, scholars and interpreters, and evolution as a profession. This book discusses various issues and themes for understanding and analyzing African American history, the 20th century black historical enterprise, and the teaching of African American history for the 21st century.Trade Review"As is the case with nearly all comprehensive historiographies, the author must digest and then summarize for his readers a tremendous amount of scholarship, past and present. Dagbovie succeeds remarkably well in that endeavor. . . . An especially important work for advanced graduate student of US and African American history. Recommended."--Choice"This thoughtful, provocative book sparkles with insight into the development of African American history as a field of scholarly inquiry. It sets out an ambitious array of themes that sorely need reexamination forty years after the rise of African American history as a distinct area of scholarship. Pero Gaglo Dagbovie probes the definition and meaning of African American history; the rise of scholarship on black women; new and innovative ways to teach the subject; historiography, epistemology, and the social construction of knowledge; and most controversial, the use of the concept of genocide to frame and understand the African American past."--The Journal of American History"A refreshing historiographical work."--The Journal of Southern History"African American History Reconsidered calls upon scholars to reopen the important work of theorizing black history, historiography, and historical thought. This book is a welcome contribution toward that initiative, an imperative at this seemingly (a)historical moment."--Journal of American Ethnic History"Pero Gaglo Dagbovie's incisive and timely book compels a new generation to come to terms with African American history. Beautifully crafted, illuminating and passionate, African American History Reconsidered reminds us that politically engaged critical analysis has long been at the heart of the black historian's craft."--Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original"African American History Reconsidered will spark debate on the issues that contemporary historians must address to foster continuing advancement of the field. This book could define the contours of African American history for the foreseeable future."--James B. Stewart, author of African Americans and the U.S. Economy"A superb study: the first major treatise on African American historiography in the past two decades. Dagbovie's work fills a gap in historiography and contributes immensely to historical studies."--Derrick P. Alridge, author of The Educational Thought of W. E. B. Du Bois: An Intellectual HistoryTable of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xvii Introduction 1 1. Conceptualizing Black History, 1903-2006 17 2. Approaches to Teaching and Learning African American History 48 3. Carter G. Woodson's Appeal, Black History, and Black Radical Thought 77 4. "Ample Proof of This May Be Found": Early Black Women Historians 99 5. "Shadow vs. Substance": Deconstructing Booker T. Washington 127 6. Genocide and African American History 158 Conclusion 197 Notes 203 Index 241

Read more less

Book Synopsis Chronicling the uneven rise and slow decline of segregation in American college athletics, Charles H. Martin shows how southern colleges imposed their policies of racial exclusion on surprisingly compliant northern teams and explains the social forces that eventually forced these southern schools to accept integrated competition. Martin emphasizes not just the racism prevalent in football and basketball in the South, but the effects of this discrimination for colleges and universities all over the country. Southern teams such as the University of Alabama, University of Mississippi, and the University of North Carolina were obsessed with national recognition, but their Jim Crow policies prevented them for many years from playing against racially mixed teams from other parts of the country. Devoting special attention to the Southeastern Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and teams in Texas, Martin explores the changing social attitudes and culture oTrade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2012. "An impressive achievement, one of the most useful titles recently published on the history of race and sport."--The Journal of American History "[Martin] provides moving descriptions of individual athletes who braved open hostility and threats of violence and of the coaches who insisted that the teams be integrated. And he is masterful in weaving all this material into the broader social history of the South. The result is an impressive, profound piece of scholarship. Essential."--Choice "Should be a standard text in sport history classes for many years."--Southwestern Historical Quarterly "Martin has written this valuable history -- the first of its kind -- documenting the process of integrating the playing fields of Southern universities and colleges. It's an important book."--El Paso Times "A well written historical analysis of the development of sport institutions at all-white colleges and universities in the South. . . . Thought provoking, and accessible."--The Journal of African American History "Given the perennial pertinence of racial issues in the United States, the attachment to intercollegiate athletics in the South, and the presence of African-American athletes, this subject begs for attention. Charles H. Martin is well-versed in college sports and academic archives, and the scope and depth of his research is astounding."--William J. Baker, author of Jesse Owens: An American Life"Historians, sports scholars, and students will refer to Benching Jim Crow for many years to come as the standard source on the integration of intercollegiate sport."--Mark S. Dyreson, author of Making the American Team: Sport, Culture, and the Olympic Experience and Crafting Patriotism: America at the Olympic Games"Benching Jim Crow is a powerful indictment of a racist system, much of which has been dismantled by law, social pressure, and the belated recognition by southern coaches and athletic directors that recruiting white athletes exclusively would doom their universities to teams that might aspire to mediocrity on their most optimistic days."--Bill Littlefield, Only a Game"A definitive piece of scholarship."--Register of the Kentucky Historical Society"Martin packs his narrative with startling examples that show racism and exclusion as all-American characteristics that just so happened to have deep roots in the South."--The Journal of Southern History"Benching Jim Crow is a major contribution to the history of collegiate athletics and the history of sport."--Louisiana HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction: The Strange Athletic Career of Jim Crow xiii 1. White Supremacy and American College Sports: The Rise of the Gentleman's Agreement, 1890-1929 1 2. "Fair Play" versus White Supremacy: The Gentleman's Agreement under Attack, 1929-45 27 3. "Massive Resistance" and the Fall of the Color Line, 1945-65 55 4. Cracks in the Solid South: Texas Western College Abandons Jim Crow 90 5. Hold That (Mason-Dixon) Line: The Atlantic Coast Conference and Football 120 6. "Two at Home and Three on the Road": The Atlantic Coast Conference and Basketball 150 7. The Eyes of Texas Are (Not) upon You: The Southwest Conference and Football 180 8. From Exclusion to Prominence: The Southeastern Conference and Basketball 215 9. The "Final Citadel of Segregation": The Southeastern Conference and Football 255 Conclusion: The Accomplishments and Limitations of Athletic Integration 293 Notes 305 Sources 355 Index 359Illustrations follow page 54

Read more less

Book SynopsisRadical Sisters offers a fresh exploration of the ways that 1960s political movements shaped local, grassroots feminism in Washington, D.C. Rejecting notions of a universal sisterhood, Anne M. Valk argues that activists periodically worked to bridge differences for the sake of alleviating women''s plight, even while maintaining distinct political bases. While most historiography on the subject tends to portray the feminist movement as deeply divided over issues of race, Valk presents a more nuanced account, showing feminists of various backgrounds both coming together to promote a notion of 'sisterhood' and being deeply divided along the lines of class, race, and sexuality.Trade Review Winner of the Richard L. Wentworth Prize in American History, 2009. "Through meticulous historical exploration of women's political activism in Washington, D.C., Valk provides a nuanced analysis of how the synergistic relationships among multiple social movements and the women who moved among them produced radical feminist policies."--Women's Review of Books"Valk's study of women's political activism in Washington, D.C., offers new ways to think about the various organizations that women formed in the 1960s and 1970s. . . .Beautifully organized. . . . Ambitious in scope, rich in detail, but well worth the effort required to absorb its many insights."--Journal of American History"This book provides a crucial new perspective on women's activism and on social activism in general. It is a terrific and highly readable addition to the historiography of feminism, and will be welcome to teachers and students alike."--H-Urban"Valk's in-depth analysis provides a new, more nuanced take on the era. Recommended."--Choice“Carefully argued and well-documented.”--Oral History Review“Poignantly and powerfully points to the limits of and opportunities for women’s activism across race and social class.”--NWSA Journal"[An] important and exciting new work."--Journal of Southern History"Bravely enters the fray in continuing to document and weave together the analytical threads of the 1960s and 1970s social movements."--American Historical Review "A compelling account of the interactions between grassroots movements advocating for the rights of women and African Americans in Washington, DC in the 1960s and 1970s. Through vivid and detailed descriptions of the fight for welfare rights and reproductive control, and against homophobia and sexual violence, Valk's cultural history provides a welcome relief from the theorizing that has tended to dominate academic discussion of feminism in recent years."--Journal of American Studies "An important, well-researched, and well-balanced study that should appeal to scholars in many disciplines."--Journal of African American History "A must read for anyone seeking a full understanding of second-wave feminism. Radical Sisters is the first to thoroughly examine the fruitful (yet often divisive) relationships between women's liberation, the black freedom struggle, and anti-poverty activism. Valk's graceful prose complements this comprehensively researched, convincingly argued, and richly detailed study of how movements for black liberation and economic justice shaped local, grass-roots feminism in Washington, D.C. An ideal book for history, sociology, and women's studies courses."--Susan M. Hartmann, author of The Other Feminists: Activists in the Liberal Establishment

Read more less

Book Synopsis Examining how labor and economy shaped the family life of bondwomen and bondmen in the antebellum South 'Swing the Sickle for the Harvest Is Ripe' compares the work, family, and economic experiences of enslaved women and men in upcountry and lowland Georgia during the nineteenth century. Mining planters'' daybooks, plantation records, and a wealth of other sources, Daina Ramey Berry shows how slaves'' experiences on large plantations, which were essentially self-contained, closed communities, contrasted with those on small plantations, where planters'' interests in sharing their workforce allowed slaves more open, fluid communications. By inviting readers into slaves'' internal lives through her detailed examination of domestic violence, separation and sale, and forced breeding, Berry also reveals important new ways of understanding what it meant to be a female or male slave, as well as how public and private aspects of slave life influenced each other on the planTrade Review"'Swing the Sickle' demonstrates how far gender has come as a category of historical analysis in slave studies. It displays refinement, nuance, and balance . . . it brings together gender, work, family, and economy in an easily accessible, readable account useful to slave scholars and students of Georgia slavery in particular."--Georgia Historical Quarterly"Reconstructing the practices of slavery from plantation records, memoirs, and newspapers and the encounter with those practices through folk songs and ex-slave testimonies, Berry succeeds in capturing commonalities and differences in slavery in white-majority communities and African American-majority communities. . . . [An] important contribution to historiography. Recommended."--Choice"[Berry's] approach reveals new ways of looking at slavery. . . . Berry also raises questions about the relationship between southern and northern ideologies of labor and emerging definitions of what constituted work and skill in the nineteenth-century United States."--Journal of Southern History"Berry's book contributes to our understanding about how slaveholders attempted to control slave labor and what men and women did to shape family lives within the confines of enslavement."--American Historical Review"Berry's study is filled with rich, personal stories that, together with its brevity, make it an engaging book for use in undergraduate instruction. Berry has provided us with a useful overview of the significance of gender in shaping the experiences of enslaved laborers in antebellum Georgia."--Journal of the Early Republic"A well-researched and written book, readers interested in the history of African Americans, women, labor, slavery, and Georgia will find this book useful."--Civil War Book Review"Berry's book adds a great deal to our understanding of the variety and complexity of slave life and makes a valuable contribution to scholarship both about Georgia and the antebellum South as a whole."--Journal of Interdisciplinary History"Berry's fresh approach to studying slavery in Georgia includes new discussions of gender exploitation, family, and worker's skills. 'Swing the Sickle for the Harvest Is Ripe' makes a tremendous contribution to the field, as it makes important connections between labor, skill and gender, forced breeding, and the informal economy."--Deborah Gray White, author of Ar'n't I a Woman?: Female Slaves in the Antebellum South and Too Heavy a Load: Black Women in Defense of Themselves, 1894-1994 "An appeal of this book is that it compares communities in upcountry and lowcountry Georgia to provide a gendered analysis of the family, labor, and economy of enslaved women and men during the antebellum period. Berry's distinctive focus will be useful for scholars and students in the fields of African American history, women's studies, gender studies, family history, and U.S. history before 1876."--Wilma King, author of The Essence of Liberty: Free Black Women during the Slave EraTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 1. "I Had to Work Hard, Plow, and Go and Split Wood Jus' Like a Man": Skill, Gender, and Productivity in Agricultural Settings 13 2. "Dey S'lected Me Out to Be a Housegirl": The Privileges and Pain of Nonagricultural Labor 35 3. "There Sho' Was a Sight of Us": Enslaved Family and Community Rituals 52 4. "O, I Never Has Forgot Dat Last Dinner wit My Folks": Enslaved Family and Community Realities 76 5. "For the Current Year": The Informal Economy and Slave Hiring 104 Epilogue: The Aftermath of Slavery 129 Appendix A 135 Appendix B 138

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn unprecedented inside view of the Hmong experience in AmericaTrade Review"Chia Youyee Vang is a skilled historian and is among the scholars with the most expertise on Hmong American communities. Using a pathbreaking blend of archival and ethnographic evidence, she presents a unique interpretation of Hmong refugees and their descendants in the United States that cannot be found in any other existing work."--Jeremy Hein, author of Ethnic Origins: The Adaptatation of Cambodian and Hmong Refugees in Four American Cities"The most comprehensive account to date of contemporary Hmong American history. . . . A true strength of the volume is Vang's detailed account of how Hmong American communities across the United States have evolved since the refugee resettlement of the mid-1970s."--Minnesota History"An invaluable introduction to contemporary Hmong American society."--Journal of Southeast Asian American Education & AdvancementTable of ContentsList of Illustrations ix Foreword xi Preface xiii Acknowledgments xvii Chronology of Relevant Events xx Introduction 1 1. Hmong History and Migration Prior to America 17 2. A New Home in America 44 3. Re-creation of Social Structures 68 4. Continuity and Reinvention of Traditions 97 5. Political Activism 122 Conclusion 150 Notes 163 Bibliography 181 Index 193

Read more less

Book SynopsisA deeply personal exploration of a city's shameful and forgotten pastTrade Review"A fine book, deeply researched and elegantly written, that tells us some very important things about the relationship between lynching and the modernizing state in the early twentieth century."--Florida Historical Quarterly"This compelling microhistory of several North Carolina lynchings adeptly locates the significance of these events in the matrix of local race relations. Deeply researched and sensitive to nuance and complexity, Troubled Ground viscerally and appealingly reconstructs historical events pivotal to an understanding of the history of lynching and criminal justice."--Michael J. Pfeifer, author of Rough Justice: Lynching and American Society, 1874–1974"Beautifully written."--The Journal of American History"In this crisp and trenchant account of a North Carolina lynching that was at once tragically commonplace and surprisingly exceptional, Claude A. Clegg III deftly combines local history of the highest caliber with an impressive command of the latest scholarship on lynching and an eye for the broadest implications of his story."--W. Fitzhugh Brundage, author of The Southern Past: A Clash of Race and Memory"Clegg provides a laudably clear and accessible narrative. Clegg successfully grounds his analysis in the local context, impressively reconstructing the relationships and the conflicts that sparked the 1906 lynchings. In sum, Troubled Ground is an excellent book and deserves a wide audience."--Louisiana History

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe roles of ethnicity and cultural identity in the films of Italian American film directorsTrade Review"Cavallero's research is extensive and of high quality. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice"This book makes a significant contribution to the limited academic literature on Italian American filmmakers. The description and analysis is first-rate and convincing, and its subject matter will appeal to the general public, as well as scholars, researchers, and students in many disciplines."--Frank Tomasulo, coeditor of More than a Method: Trends and Traditions in Contemporary Film Performance"A solidly researched, engagingly argued, and innovative perspective on each one of them, but it also opens up cinematic discourse on (Italian) ethnicity to wider horizons of cultural and political reflections and leaves us with a constructive, dynamic vision of identity."--Italian American ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix Introduction 1 1. Frank Capra: Ethnic Denial and Its Impossibility 11 2. Martin Scorsese: Confined and Defined by Ethnicity 45 3. Nancy Savoca: Ethnicity, Class, and Gender 77 4. Francis Ford Coppola: Ethnic Nostalgia in the Godfather Trilogy 99 5. Quentin Tarantino: Ethnicity and the Postmodern 125 Conclusion: Ancestral Legacies and History's Lessons 151 Notes 165 Bibliography 193 Index 213

Read more less

Book SynopsisDynamic stories from Chicana Movement participants living in the Pilsen neighborhood of ChicagoTrade ReviewSociety of Professors of Education Book Award, 2013. Honorable Mention, Best History/Political Book-English category, Latino Literacy Now's International Latino Book Awards, 2012. "The personal testimonies make for exciting reading. . . . Ramírez and his interviewees present an untold story of Chicana/o student activism in the Midwest that has all but been ignored in New Left historiography and Chicago history."--Journal of Illinois History"Women's oral history enthusiasts will find this book a treasure trove of ideas and experiences that is brimming with details about the events, organizations, and cultural work of women in the Chicano movement."--Dionne Espinoza, coeditor of Enriqueta Vasquez and the Chicano Movement: Writings from El Grito del Norte"Chicanas of 18th Street provides a fascinating narrative that uses rich personal accounts to detail the history of individual women and the Chicano movement in Chicago during the 1960s and 1970s."--Oral History Review"A fascinating account of Latina activists during the height of the Chicano movement in Chicago. The personal testimonies allow readers to see the dynamics that transform community members into activists. This engaging study appeals to students and scholars of women's studies, political science, sociology, and Latina studies."--Mary S. Pardo, author of Mexican American Women Activists: Identity and Resistance in Two Los Angeles CommunitiesTable of ContentsList of Illustrations ix Preface xi List of Abbreviations, Organizations, and Programs xvii Chicago Movement Time Line xxi Introduction: Second City Mexicans 1 Leonard G. Ramirez Homecoming, 1997 17 Leonard G. Ramirez A Legacy of Struggle 29 Yenelli Flores Living the Life I Was Meant to Lead 54 Isaura Gonzalez Una Chicana en la lucha 76 Maria Gamboa A Woman of My Time 101 Cristina Vital Defending My People and My Culture 118 Victoria Perez A Proud Daughter of a Mexican Worker 137 Magda Ramirez-Castaneda Social Action 166 Leonard G. Ramirez Women of 18th Street: Our Preliminary Assessment 201 Yenelli Flores, Maria Gamboa, Isaura Gonzalez, Victoria Perez, Magda Ramirez-Castaneda, Cristina Vital References 205 Contributors 213 Index 219

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn independent and indigenous revision of established historyTrade Review"A fascinating book that makes an important . . . contribution to the subject of pre-Columbian contacts between America and Europe. . . . Highly recommended."--Choice"Provocative. . . . Turning the concept of 'discovers' on its head, Forbes dispels a lot of common assumptions about who 'discovered' whom in the Americas, in an extensive and fascinating exploration of early maritime histories of the Native Americans."--Bloomsbury Review"Interesting and thought provoking. . . . [Forbes] raises many significant questions."--American Anthropologist"Highly refreshing. . . .Very convincing."--Elixir“[Forbes’] extensive use of manuscript or published sources, interviews, and correspondence with specialists in a wide variety of fields is impressive.”--Terrae Incognitae"Readers will find much to ponder in this volume, and the extensive bibliography is a valuable guide to further study."--Journal of Interdisciplinary History"Forbes makes an unusual and fascinating contribution to the story of the New and Old Worlds and the links between them, questioning in a welcome way the truth and ideological sway of orthodox history. He leads his reader along paths rarely, if ever, trodden, ultimately in search of a fairer account of native America and its role in the world. This is a quest Forbes's own ancestry and--not least--keen sense of language well equip him to undertake. He eminently succeeds."--Gordon Brotherston, author of Image of the New World: The American Continent Portrayed in Native Texts"A decisive, independent, and long overdue contribution that pulls the plug from the inflated icon the Christian West has made of the slaver Christopher Columbus in his mistaken attempt to reach India."--Hartmut Lutz, professor of American studies, Greifswald University, Germany

Read more less

Book Synopsis Beginning in the 1930s, Black Chicago experienced a cultural renaissance that lasted into the 1950s and rivaled the cultural outpouring in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. The contributors to this volume analyze this prolific period of African American creativity in music, performance art, social science scholarship, and visual and literary artistic expression. Unlike Harlem, Chicago was an urban industrial center that gave a unique working class and internationalist perspective to the cultural work being done in Chicago. This collection''s various essays discuss the forces that distinguished the Black Chicago Renaissance from the Harlem Renaissance and placed the development of black culture in a national and international context. Among the topics discussed in this volume are Chicago writers Gwendolyn Brooks and Richard Wright, The Chicago Defender and Tivoli Theater, African American music and visual arts, and the American Negro Exposition oTrade Review"This collection reveals that 1930s-50s Chicago had enough African American artists who were born, worked, or studied there—in the applied, performing, and recording arts, social sciences, and literature—to constitute a critical mass rivaling the earlier cultural exuberance of Harlem."--Choice"The book offers highly readable essays from scholars who tell stories about the artists -- including some Harlem Renaissance ex-parts who came to Chicago -- and the conditions that contributed to a major arts movement in the city that lasted for more than two decades."--Chicago Tribune"A lively, useful anthology of ten critical essays on Chicago's remarkable upturn in black cultural politics and political culture at midcentury."--Journal of Illinois History "A service to all readers interested in twentieth-century American cultural history."--Literature & History "The Black Chicago Renaissance offers an in-depth investigation of the Renaissance and. . . . Positions itself as one of the most successful works of scholarship on this movement. . . . A must-read for American culture, African-American culture, and African-American and American history studies."--Journal of American Culture "The Black Chicago Renaissance is an informative. . . anthology of ten essays that analyzes the city's African American cultural fluorescence from the early 1930s to the early 1950s. . . .Offers pioneering research on multiple understudied topics."--The Journal of American History"Hine and McCluskey fill the gap found in the scholarship regarding the rise of black artistic communities."--The Journal of American Ethnic HistoryTable of ContentsContributors are Hilary Mac Austin, David T. Bailey, Murry N. DePillars, Samuel A. Floyd Jr., Erik S. Gellman, Jeffrey Helgeson, Darlene Clark Hine, John McCluskey Jr., Christopher Robert Reed, Elizabeth Schlabach, and Clovis E. Semmes

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplaining Chicago's mix of crime, corruption, and politicsTrade Review"Lombardo argues persuasively that organized crime is not a foreign deviance implanted by will but rather a condition made possible by circumstances of the place. Recommended."--Choice "Organized Crime in Chicago offers readers a revealing glimpse into the larger-than-life personalities that inhabited the netherworld of crime, such as members of 'The 42,' a boys' gang organized in the 1930s by seventh graders."--The Historian "Lombardo recounts more than 100 years of the rise and decline of various criminal organizations, including the Syndicates, the Forty-Two Gang, and the Outfit, in this history explaining the role of organized crime in Chicago. Because Chicago crime is depicted in many popular books and movies, this history will find eager readers everywhere."--Booklist"Robert M. Lombardo's book deflates the theory that organized crime in the United States was imported from Italy, and he provides ample evidence to prove that organized crime in the city evolved from social structure, frontier immorality, and political corruption. Organized Crime in Chicago should be on the reading lists for true crime enthusiasts and students of Chicago history and criminal history."--American Historical Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe first full-length critical study of lynching plays in American cultureTrade ReviewWinner of the American Theatre and Drama Society (ATDS) Book Award, 2012. Winner of the Society for the Study of American Women Writers (SSAWW) Book Award, 2012."Required reading for understanding the ways in which narrative and performance have been central to challenging white oppression as well as (re)imagining black identity in America. Highly recommended."--Choice "Mitchell expertly brings in critical approaches from literary and performance studies to show how concepts such as 'circulation' and 'impact' held different meaning for citizens trying to survive traumatic events. . . . Her study offers significant new insights into a key historical movement and provides a model of academic scholarship."--American Historical Review "Offers cogent insights into the cultural work of creative expression in a context of racial violence."--The Journal of American History"Impressively researched and powerfully argued, this first full-length critical study of lynching drama shows the ways that these plays galvanized dynamic conversations about the racialized politics of privacy, citizenship, patriotism, and gender roles in American culture. Living with Lynching is a tremendously illuminating work that breaks new ground in theater and performance studies, African American literary history, and women's and gender studies."--Daphne A. Brooks, author of Bodies in Dissent: Spectacular Performances of Race and Freedom, 1850–1910"This vivid book makes a major contribution to the literature on lynching in the U.S. by excavating an under-examined archive of black dramatic responses to it. Offering a new and convincing periodization of lynching drama, Mitchell moves beyond the best known texts to illuminate a range of plays diligently retrieved and scrupulously interpreted. Living with Lynching is a testament to the endurance of black life in the face of social death."--Tavia Nyong'o, author of The Amalgamation Waltz: Race, Performance, and the Ruses of Memory"In addition to unearthing an underexplored archive of black women's writing, Mitchell engages with one of the central problematics of feminist and critical race theories: the ethics of representing atrocity. Essential Reading."--Legacy"Mitchell's Living with Lynching is thoroughly researched and exquisitely written. It is timely and a necessary read for anyone committed to repurposing historical African American strife for reconstruction and celebration."--Spectrum"[Mitchell] shows how performing lynching plays in community spaces allowed African Americans to actualize the various subjectivities . . . that lynchings sought to expunge. This book is required reading for understanding the ways in which narrative and performance have been central to challenging white oppression as well as (re)imagining black identity in America. Highly recommended."--Choice "An emphatic push to change how we understand, write about, and teach the phenomenon of lynching."--H-SHGAPE "Mitchell methodically documents and skillfully interprets lynching drama's important cultural work. . . . She illuminates an overlooked aspect African American literary history."--Arkansas Review "If ever a lynching book could be described as beautiful, it would undoubtedly be Mitchell's for the gracious way she takes care to read, generously and meticulously, all that she sees and hears (as well as what she does not see and hear) when she enters the homes that these characters have struggled to build for themselves."--Signs “Mitchell offers a cogent example of how African Americans deployed theater and performance to engage in quotidian acts of survival, belonging, self-affirmation, and citizenship that were not solely contingent on protesting white violence.”--MELUS “These dramatic works examined by Koritha Mitchell represent a body of literature that spoke directly to the horror of lynching and its immediate and long-term effects on African American families and communities. . . . An intriguing book.”--The Journal of African American HistoryTable of ContentsIntroduction: Whose Evidence? Which Account?; Capital Entertainment, Better Representation Part I: Making Lynching Drama and Its Contributions Legible 1: Scenes and Scenarios: Reading Aright; 2: Re-defining "Black Theatre" Part II: Developing a Genre, Asserting Black Citizenship 3: The Black Soldier: Elevating Community Conversation; 4: The Black Lawyer: Preserving Testimony; 5: The Black Mother/Wife: Blue Blood Safe; 6: The Pimp and Coward: Frances Conclusion: Documenting Black Performance: Key Considerations Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis collection of essays illuminates the factors that distinguished lynching in the West, the Midwest, and the Mid-Atlantic.Trade Review"The essays collected in this volume remind us, no region of the country--and no ethnic group--was spared the spectacle of lynch mobs in the 19th or early-20th centuries."--Shepherd Express “Each essay expands understanding of lynching and shows how deeply the practice was embedded in the cultural DNA of the nation. . . . Thought-provoking and impressively researched.”--The Journal of American History "Theoretically sophisticated, well documented, and superbly written, this volume provides an in-depth examination of lynching outside the South and will stand out as a fresh and unique contribution to recent scholarship on lynching." --Margaret Vandiver, author of Lethal Punishment: Lynchings and Legal Executions in the South "Michael Pfeifer, the editor of Lynching Beyond Dixie, has emerged as one of the most important contributors to the scholarship on lynching. . . . Reminding us that lynching was a national phenomenon that reflected national, no less than regional, anxieties."--The Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society"A must read for all historians who work on lynching and mob violence in American history." --Manfred Berg, author of Popular Justice: A History of Lynching in America "These perceptive case studies underscore Pfeifer's contention that lynching was a national phenomenon that disrupted the transition from 'rough justice' to 'due process.'--The Journal of Arizona History "Lynching Beyond Dixie, admirably fulfills its title's promise in extending our gaze beyond teh former Confederacy to recognize "rough justice" as a national -- not simply a regional -- phenomenon."--Utah Historical Quarterly "The book brings together interesting case studies, new empirical evidence, and challenging perspectives. Most importantly, it clearly demonstrates the "Southern exceptionalism" in the study of lynching is no longer tenable."--Criminal Law & Criminal Justice Books "Michael J. Pfeifer is the most important historian of lynching since W. Fitzhugh Brundage began reinvigorating the field in the early 1990s, and Pfeifer solidifies this position with an excellent collection of essays that pushes us to consider lunching as a national phenomenon rather than as something unique to the American South."--Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains "These essays are thoughtful, engaging, and clearly written. Taken as a whole, the collection will force scholars to ponder how they study mob violence in America and to begin to broaden what they think of location, motivation, and response when they discuss that violence."--The Annals of IowaTable of ContentsContributors: Jack S. Blocker Jr., Brent M. S. Campney, William D. Carrigan, Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua, Dennis B. Downey, Larry R. Gerlach, Kimberley Mangun, Helen McLure, Michael J. Pfeifer, Christopher Waldrep, Clive Webb, and Dena Lynn Winslow.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe untold story of the common efforts of whites, blacks, and Indians on the Civil War's western frontTrade Review"An important contribution to the literature of the diplomatic aspects of the Civil War."--NYMAS Review"A concise and thought-provoking description of events throughout the Civil War era in a region ignored first by contemporary officials and later by historians caught up in the war in the East."--American Historical Review"A bold, eye-opening study that lays bare the multiple struggles that underlay the Civil War west of the Mississippi. Sophisticated and startling."--Arkansas Historical Quarterly"A necessary read."--Against the Current"Engrossing."--Monthly Review"This heroic story is brilliantly told."--counterpunch.org"Recommended."--Choice"This incredible work broadens understanding of the Civil War in the West and expands historical knowledge about the Native American contributions to the war effort. It will appeal to any Civil War historian and those interested in Native American or military history."--Eugene H. Berwanger, author of The Frontier against Slavery: Western Anti-Negro Prejudice and the Slavery Extension Controversy"In this study of an obscure but important group of radicals, Lause includes cameos of fascinating figures largely ignored in standard accounts as well as coverage of battles beyond the frame of nearly all Civil War texts. Future work will have to reckon with this marvelous study."--Bruce Laurie, author of Beyond Garrison: Antislavery and Social Reform

Read more less

Book Synopsis During the 1910s and 1920s, the Philadelphia waterfront was home to the most durable interracial, multiethnic union seen in the United States prior to the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) era. For much of its time, Local 8''s majority was African American and included immigrants from Eastern Europe as well as many Irish Americans. In this important study, Peter Cole examines how Local 8, affiliated with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), accomplished what no other did at the time. He also shows how race was central not only to the rise but also to the decline of Local 8, as increasing racial tensions were manipulated by employers and federal agents bent on the union''s destruction. Trade Review"Cole skillfully integrates material from IWW leaders, government documents, newspaper accounts, and oral histories with secondary literature to produce a superb case study, one that should appeal to anyone interested in the IWW, the intersection of work and race, waterfront work, or race relations in the United States during the World War I period."--H-Urban "This book is a powerful reminder of what a militant and democratic union can accomplish, but also serves as a warning that only a far more powerful labor movement than we have at present can avoid the kind of tragedy depicted here." --Solidarity "One of the best and most important histories of the Industrial Workers of the World."--American Historical Review"Cole's richly detailed book provides a glimpse at a topic too often ignored, the local IWW. . . . Wobblies on the Waterfront deserves to be read seriously by labor historians and historians interested in race and social justice movements. . . . This remarkable book provides a sense of what the Wobblies might have become if given a chance."--Journal of American History "An invaluable resource to those interested broadly in the historiography of race and industrial unionism and more specifically in Local 8 itself. . . . A worthwhile contribution to the literature and an inspiration to those of us who hold out hope for a unified labor movement."--Labor History "Cole's book amply demonstrates the value of interracial solidarity to successful organizing and shows that is was possible even under relatively inhospitable conditions. Wobblies on the Waterfront is a valuable addition to the debate about the intersections of race and class in labor history and will be of interest to scholars and advanced students of labor history."--Labor Studies Journal "The story of Philadelphia's Local 8, a motley and international crew of longshoremen who worked together against the rising tide of racial intolerance [is] one worth telling and one well told in Peter Cole's Wobblies on the Waterfront."--Labour/Le Travail

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplores the growth, impact, and significance of rapidly growing Asian American populations in the American South.Trade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2014. "A timely and necessary contribution to multiple fields of inquiry, including southern history and studies, immigration history, urban history, foreign relations history, U.S. history writ large, religious studies, American studies, ethnic studies, and Asian American studies. . . . Fresh and forward-looking, Asian Americans in Dixie should serve as a launching pad for new directions in the histories of race, migration, and the U.S. South."--The Journal of Southern History "This collection brings valuable attention to the largely overlooked experiences of Asian Americans in the southern US. . . . An important contribution to Asian American studies. Essential."--Choice "Delving into the complex history of race and ethnicity in the American South, these scholars explore the ways in which Asian Americans must be part of that narrative, both past and present. This book will have great potential as a teaching tool in Asian American studies and Southern studies."--Krystyn R. Moon, author of Yellowface: Creating the Chinese in American Popular Music and Performance, 1850s–1920s"Delving into the complex history of race and ethnicity in the American South, these scholars explore the ways in which Asian Americans must be part of that narrative, both past and present. This book will have great potential as a teaching tool in Asian American studies and Southern studies."--Krystyn R. Moon, author of Yellowface: Creating the Chinese in American Popular Music and Performance, 1850s–1920s

Read more less

Book SynopsisExplores the crucial role of network television in reconfiguring new attitudes in race relations during the civil rights movement. This book examines the high-profile and controversial television series of the era to feature African American actors - East Side/West Side, Julia, and Good Times.Trade Review "Acute insight into the complex interaction between social change and television programming during the 1960s."--American Journalism"Equal Time goes beyond news coverage and explores the portrayal of black and white characters in television dramas and comedies. . . . A readable and enjoyable book."--The Ottawa Citizen"Thoughtful, provocative, and well-researched. . . . This is an important book."--Journalism History"A thoroughly researched analysis of the intersection between race, social change, and network television in the 1960s. Bodroghkozy shows in vivid detail how television served as a powerful tool of moral persuasion that played a key role in turning the tide toward the passage of historic civil rights legislation."--S. Craig Watkins, author of The Young and the Digital: What the Migration to Social Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future "Bodroghkozy's well-written, smart, and nuanced analysis makes us think about the relationship between the media and the Civil Rights Movement in fresh and interesting ways." --Susan J. Douglas, author of The Rise of Enlightened Sexism: How Pop Culture Took Us from Girl Power to Girls Gone Wild "A valuable addition to the maturing scholarship on connections between the African American freedom struggle and the media. A compelling and thoughtful book of equal interest to students of the media and the freedom struggle."--The Journal of Southern History

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis perceptive, lively study explores U.S. women''s sport through historical points of change: particular products or trends that dramatically influenced both women''s participation in sport and cultural responses to women athletes. Beginning with the seemingly innocent ponytail, the subject of the Introduction, scholar Jaime Schultz challenges the reader to look at the historical and sociological significance of now-common items such as sports bras and tampons and ideas such as sex testing and competitive cheerleading. Tennis wear, tampons, and sports bras all facilitated women's participation in physical culture, while physical educators, the aesthetic fitness movement, and Title IX encouraged women to challenge (or confront) policy, financial, and cultural obstacles. While some of these points of change increased women''s physical freedom and sporting participation, they also posed challenges. Tampons encouraged menstrual shame, sex testing (a tool never usedTrade ReviewHonorable Mention in U.S. History, PROSE Awards, Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers, 2015. "Qualifying Times continues and deepens important discussions among scholars in recent decades concerning power, gender and athleticism. . . . a germinal text in the sense that it will certainly have influence, in myriad ways, on future work in sport history."--Journal of Sport History"Schultz has written an engaging and readable book detailing the points of change that she hopes will call into question the traditional 'eras' of sports history. Should be considered by all sports fans."--Library Journal"Spirited and thought-provoking."--Women's Review of Books "Schultz examines the persistent divide between athleticism and feminism. Recommended."--Choice"Qualifying Times provides a compelling read for everyone interested in the U.S. sporting past and present. Not only is Schultz's writing rich in source materials, small case studies and illustrative media images, it is also clear, to the point, and (appropriately) witty. While Schultz identifies common themes throughout all parts of the book, each chapter is a study in its own right. For this reason, as well as its clear and contextually rich character, the individual chapters make for perfect teaching material for classes in sport sociology, history, and/or women's studies."--Sport in American History"The next seminal work in the history of women's sport, beautifully written and cogently argued. Schultz builds on existing scholarship while also adding to it--no one else has examined the history of commonplace but important items and their role in the gendering of sport."--Sarah K. Fields, author of Female Gladiators: Gender, Law, and Contact Sport in America

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamines the conceptualization and staging of race through the performance, sometimes coerced, of black dance from the slave ship to the minstrel stage.Trade ReviewA Choice Outstanding Academic Title, 2014. "Thompson forces readers to rethink the place and meaning of performance in early America. ...Ring Shout stands as one of the more intriguing new works on slavery and performance."--Civil War Book Review"Provides a thorough examination of the "complex and conflicting roles" of music and dance in the lives of the enslaved, arguing that double consciousness was one result of the "paradoxical dynamic of agency, masquerade, and subjugation" found in black performances."--The Journal of Southern History"Thompson's extraordinary book relates the story behind the story of the genesis of blackface minstrelsy as the first entertainment form in the new US. Essential."--Choice"Thompson has written a powerful study whose implications reach beyond distant American history or the preconceptions of ‘black studies’ to ask urgent questions about African American identity.”--Times Literary Supplement"Thompson offers the first cultural history of how music and dance shaped Euro-American and African American identities and how these American culture producers manipulated the performing arts to mold public perception. . . . On virtually every page of Ring Shout, Wheel About, Thompson perceptively deconstructs this complicated quartet of music, dance, slavery, and American culture, and she brilliantly organizes her argument around a 'page to stage' metaphor of theatrical production. . . . Ring Shout, Wheel About succeeds tremendously in historicizing racial stereotyping well before blackface and in explicating the many uses Europeans, Africans, African Americans, Euro-Americans, southerners, and northerners found for music and dance."--Register of the Kentucky Historical Society"Katrina Dyonne Thompson makes an important contribution to our understanding of slavery and racial formation. An engaging, well-argued book that uses the contested areas of dance and music to explore the many worlds of slavery and the cultural development of both blacks and whites. Ring Shout, Wheel About will take its rightful place alongside its academic forbearers, and should be the standard to follow for years to come."--Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society"Northern antebellum minstrel shows were ugly enough, clearly indebted to the economics and racist hierarchies of slavery, however politically ambiguous they sometimes were. But reaching back centuries before them, Thompson brings into view a variety of scenes and situations, as brutal as they were familiar, involving the coercion of music and dance from enslaved persons by white slavers and masters."--American Historical Review"A compelling and important contribution to the study of slavery, race, and American entertainment. . . . Thompson's argument is clear and convincing: the performances demanded of slaves were central to white 'attempts to define blackness and slavery."--Ohio Valley History "A vital read for those seeking to understand the complicated legacy of race and bondage in popular culture."--H-Net Reviews "Ring Shout, Wheel About is more than a study of slave music and dance. Katrina Dyonne Thompson provides a sophisticated analysis of how slave dance and musical performances contributed to historical and contemporary stereotypes of African Americans. . . . The book's insights on the African American experience from the time of enslavement to present-day performances of and by African Americans on radio, television, and film should generate considerable discussion into the construction and persistence of racial stereotypes in the United States."--Journal of the Early Republic "Thompson enhances the depth of scholarly knowledge on enslaved Africans' resistance and cultural retentions. . . . Ring Shout, Wheel About demonstrates emphatically that African people directed their own entertainment behind the scenes, outside the gaze of white oppressors."--The Journal of African American History "Important reading for anyone who wants to understand the history of the performing arts and race in America. What is seemingly a simple topic--enslaved people's performance of music and dance--achieves great complexity and delivers tremendous returns in Katrina Thompson's able hands."--Diane Mutti-Burke, author of On Slavery's Border: Missouri's Small Slaveholding Households, 1815-1865

Read more less

Book SynopsisNFL Films changed the way Americans view football. This book traces the subsidiary's development from a small independent film production company to the marketing machine that Sports Illustrated named "perhaps the most effective propaganda organ in the history of corporate America."Trade Review"Vogan is able to conclude that by NFL Films' "manufacturing pro football's significance" the average fan was "taught" how to watch football, eventually leading to the replacement of baseball as "America's Pastime" with NFL football as "America's Game."--Journalism History"Keepers of the Flame is the definitive study of major-league media subsidiaries in the United States. It merits wide readership by historians of sports, media, and journalism."--Sport History Review"A readable and interesting book with a lot of descriptive history. Recommended."--Choice"Keepers of the Flame is an insightful and deeply-researched interrogation of the cultural, economic, and institutional forces that allowed a small production company to become regarded as 'perhaps the most effective propaganda organ in the history of corporate America.'"--Sport in American History"Keepers of the Flame is an impressive book that advances the historical body of knowledge concerning sports media. Vogan writes clearly, with a highly accessible style. . . . highly recommended."--Journal of Sports Management"NFL Films changed the way we thought not just about football, but, in many ways, about film. We televise sports in countless ways, from IMAX cameras to our iPhones, and no one does it as well as them. Travis Vogan captures why NFL Films is important and tells a vivid, smart tale of how they've survived, and thrived."--- Will Leitch, author of Are We Winning? and God Save The Fan, senior editor Sports On Earth, founder Deadspin"A well-conceived, persuasively argued, and consistently illuminating account of the most important and influential producer of sports films. Keepers of the Flame: NFL Films and the Rise of Sports Media is exactly the book we need to understand the significance of NFL Films over its roughly fifty-year history. Vogan's discussions of its archives and of the relationship between art and commerce are particularly original, enlightening, and provocative."--Michael Oriard, author of Brand NFL: Making and Selling America's Favorite Sport"Keepers of the Flame represents a significant, original contribution to the field of sports and media studies. Vogan's history and analysis of NFL Films and its cultural significance makes expert use of a variety of voices, from scholars to professional memoirs, popular press sources, interviews with NFL Films executives, and close analysis of films and programs."--Victoria Johnson, author of Heartland TV: Prime Time Television and the Struggle for U.S. Identity

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnalyzes how white engagement with African American novels, film narratives, and hip-hop can help form anti-racist attitudes that may catalyze social change and racial justice. Though acknowledging past failures to establish cross-racial empathy, this book focuses on examples that show avenues for future progress and change.Trade ReviewLois P. Rudnick Book Prize, New England American Studies Association, 2014. "[Davis's] readings are astute and innovative. Her study of the cross-racial empathy of white rappers and her comparison/contrast of Do the Right Thing and Crash are especially effective. With a solid scholarly foundation, she takes real risks in her thinking about race." --Cecilia Konchar Farr, author of Reading Oprah: How Oprah's Book Club Changed the Way America Reads"Davis’s book is a timely analysis of the relationship between audience reception and antiracist action. . . . Davis’s argument goes beyond the claim that educating whites in African American history and culture can lead to antiracist reading practices to say that antiracist reading is one part of white engagement with African American culture more broadly."--Reception: Texts, Readers, Audiences, History

Read more less