Polite Protest: The Political Economy of Race in Indianapolis, 1920-1970

by Richard B. Pierce

Overview

This history of the black community of Indianapolis in the 20th century focuses on methods of political action—protracted negotiations, interracial coalitions, petition, and legal challenge—employed to secure their civil rights. These methods of "polite protest" set Indianapolis apart from many Northern cities. Richard B. Pierce looks at how the black community worked to alter the political and social culture of Indianapolis. As local leaders became concerned with the city's image, black leaders found it possible to achieve gains by working with whites inside the existing power structure, while continuing to press for further reform and advancement. Pierce describes how Indianapolis differed from its Northern cousins such as Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit. Here, the city's people, black and white, created their own patterns and platforms of racial relations in the public and cultural spheres.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253111340
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	02/15/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	168
File size:	615 KB

About the Author

Richard B. Pierce is The Carl E. Koch II Assistant Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
1. More than a Game: The Political Meaning of High School Basketball in Indianapolis
2. We Have Given You No Extremists: The Challenge Against Segregated Schools
3. "We were always fighting the Housing Battle": African-American Housing in Indianapolis
4. You're Tired Chile: Work Opportunities and Restrictions for Indianapolis' African Americans
5. Building a Fence around the City: African Americans and Unigov
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index