Blackness and Whiteness as Historical Forces in the 20th Century United States

Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

Y

5

United States History; Race; Civil Rights; Altruism; Racial Integration; Civil Rights Legislation; Epistemology; Racial Identification; African Americans; Racial Bias; Social Change; Social Bias; Activism; Voting; Whites; Racial Composition; Immigrants; Minority Groups

Civil Rights Act 1964; Voting Rights Act 1965

10.1080/15210960902717650

1521-0960

At the core of the epistemology of black identity in the 20th century United States is the assertion that freedom is a human right, not a privilege to be earned. By the late 19th century, an ideology of racial uplift had emerged that revolved around four concepts--compassion, service, education, and a commitment to social and economic justice for all citizens, as Kevin Gaines notes in "Uplifting the Race" (1996). These elements would form the foundation for black identity and the argument for racial integration in the United States. It was the strength of these ideals that ultimately civilized a plurality of American citizens between 1955 and 1965, resulting in the landmarks of the Civil Rights Movement (the "Brown" decision, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the confrontations in Selma and Birmingham (Alabama), the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965). For the first time in American history, white Americans publicly rejected the legitimacy of white supremacy as a pillar of civilization. In this article, the author talks about blackness and whiteness as historical forces in the 20th century United States. He discusses the concept of whiteness based on the works of Tim Wise (2005) and David Roediger, who have undertaken the task to document the experience of identifying whiteness that shaped the last five centuries.

ERIC

6

2009

EJ831632