Description
Book SynopsisAll-Black institutions and local community groups have been at the forefront of the freedom struggle since the beginning.Lifting the Chains is a history of the Black experience in America since the Civil War, told by one of our mostdistinguished historians of modern America, William H. Chafe. He argues that, despite the wishes and arguments of many whites to the contrary, the struggle for freedom has been carried out primarily by Black Americans, with only occasional assistance from whites. Chafe highlights the role of all-black institutions--especially the churches, lodges, local gangs, neighborhood women''s groups, and the Black college clubs that gathered at local pool halls--that talked up the issues, examined different courses of action, and then put their lives on the line to make change happen.The book draws heavily on the tremendous oral history archives at Duke that Chafe founded and nurtured, much of which is previously unpublished. The the archives are now a collection of mo
Trade ReviewBill Chafe's Lifting the Chains tells the powerful story of men, women, and children who wrote themselves into history, battled the contradictions of slavery and freedom, strove to end the hurts of racism, and in the process made the nation better. A fitting addition to a long and distinguished career. * Earl Lewis, Thomas C. Holt Distinguished University Professor of History, Afroamerican and African Studies and Public Policy, University of Michigan *
Written by one of the nation's most distinguished scholars, Lifting the Chains is a vivid, highly readable yet also well researched survey of African American history in the post-slavery era. * Clayborne Carson, Martin Luther King Jr., Centennial Professor of History, Emeritus, Stanford University *
The distinguished historian William Chafe has offered another gem to the growing body of knowledge on Black-led freedom campaigns, and the importance of Black leadership in establishing liberatory institutions. By making unrelenting demands on an often unresponsive government, and by building and creating independent projects, Black historical actors have been in the forefront of the fight to make 'freedom' real and tangible for all. Lifting the Chains eloquently reminds us of these important truths, and their relevance to contemporary struggles for Black freedom. * Barbara Ransby, John D. MacArthur University Chair and Distinguished Professor of Black Studies and History, University of Illinois at Chicago, author of Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement and Making All Black Lives Matter *
Table of ContentsChapter One: Present at the Creation: 1863-1877 Chapter Two: The Twilight Years, 1877-1898 Chapter Three: Family, Church and Community Chapter Four: Education and Work Chapter Five: Politics and Resistance: From 1900 to World War I Chapter Six: World War I Chapter Seven: The 1920s and 30s Chapter Eight: The Persistence of Struggle, the Beginning of Hope: African-Americans and World War II Chapter Nine: Postwar Protest Chapter Ten: A New Language of Protest, a New Generation of Activists Chapter Eleven: Winning the Right to Vote, Coming Apart in the Process Chapter Twelve: Triumph and Division Chapter Thirteen: The Struggle Continues Chapter Fourteen: Conclusion
