Black Spokane: The Civil Rights Struggle in the Inland Northwest

In 1981, decades before mainstream America elected Barack Obama, James Chase became the first African American mayor of Spokane, Washington, with the overwhelming support of a majority—white electorate. Chase’s win failed to capture the attention of historians—as had the century—long evolution of the black community in Spokane. In Black Spokane: The Civil Rights Struggle in the Inland Northwest, Dwayne A. Mack corrects this oversight—and recovers a crucial chapter in the history of race rel...