Black Culture and the New Deal: The Quest for Civil Rights in the Roosevelt Era

In the 1930s, the Roosevelt administration — unwilling to antagonize a powerful southern congressional bloc — refused to endorse legislation that openly sought to improve political, economic, and social conditions for African Americans. Instead, as historian Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff shows, the administration recognized and celebrated African Americans by offering federal support to notable black intellectuals, celebrities, and artists.

Sklaroff illustrates how programs within the Federal Arts...