'Stony the Road' to Change: Black Mississippians and the Culture of Social Relations

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
Acknowledgments......Page 19
FIRST CONTACT: DOESN’T EVERYBODY OWN A TV?......Page 21
BUILDING A NEW PERSPECTIVE......Page 25
WHY MISSISSIPPI?: METHOD TO THE MADNESS......Page 29
METHOD FOR THE MAZE......Page 32
THE FRAME......Page 35
“FOR MY PEOPLE” – CONCERNS OF NATIVE ANTHROPOLOGY......Page 41
STRUCTURING THE ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY......Page 43
PART ONE THE CULTURAL HISTORY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE REGION......Page 45
1 Placing the Stones......Page 47
WHERE ON “GOD’S GREEN EARTH” ARE WE?......Page 48
Religious Foundations......Page 56
The Educational System......Page 57
Political History of Region......Page 59
Politics and Community Borders......Page 60
Space and the Demographics of De Facto Segregation......Page 63
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE AND WHY ARE THEY HERE?: ORIGINS OF THE REGIONAL AFRICAN PRESENCE......Page 67
Social Structure of the African American Neighborhoods......Page 68
Community Churches......Page 72
2 Getting Around the Stones......Page 74
JAMES MEREDITH AND THE MOVEMENT COME TO TOWN......Page 75
FROM THE MOUTHS OF THOSE WHO WOULD BE KING......Page 79
PART TWO SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS, SOCIAL ACTION......Page 87
3 Social Consciousness and Black Public Culture......Page 89
The Religious View......Page 92
The Political Organization View......Page 94
A Civic Organization View......Page 96
A Socio-Civic Organization View......Page 101
A Public Culture View......Page 103
The Local Talented Tenth View......Page 109
The Ayers Case......Page 111
The Black Bid for Sheriff......Page 114
Block Grant Funds/Annexation......Page 115
Legal Problems of Weapons in School Rules......Page 116
Voter Registration......Page 117
THE MOVE TO ELECT BLACK CANDIDATES......Page 119
SOCIAL CHANGE: WHO WANTS WHAT AND WHY?......Page 131
PART THREE CONSTRUCTION OF AN INTRARACIAL IDENTITY......Page 139
5 “What’s Race Got To Do With It?”......Page 141
THE INTERCONNECTION OF PLACE, SPACE, AND BELONGING......Page 142
PLACE: A COMPLEX CONSTRUCTION OF HISTORY AND TRADITION......Page 153
HISTORY AND MEMORY AS DEFINERS OF IDENTITY......Page 159
AUTHENTICATION OF BELONGING......Page 163
6 It’s a White “Thang”......Page 167
7 The Final (Af)front......Page 184
Conclusion......Page 196
Appendix A Lafayette County Population Chart......Page 215
Appendix B Proclamation Honoring Ole Miss Demonstrators......Page 216
Appendix C Chancellor’s Statement of Commendation......Page 218
Appendix D Speech by Susie Marshall for Second Baptist Church Honoring Rev. Blind Jim Ivy......Page 219
Appendix E Susie Marshall’s Unpublished Draft of Freedmen Town Marker Dedication Speech Recounting July 4, 1867, Speech…......Page 220
Bibliography......Page 223
Index......Page 229