Black Elephants in the Room : The Unexpected Politics of African American Republicans / Corey D. Fields.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Fields, Corey D., Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )--Membership.

Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- ).

African Americans--Political activity.

African Americans.

African Americans--Politics and government--21st century.

Identity politics--United States.

Identity politics.

Allegiance--United States.

Allegiance.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (295 pages)

Place of Publication:

Berkeley, CA : University of California Press, [2016]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

What do you think of when you hear about an African American Republican? Are they heroes fighting against the expectation that all blacks must vote democratic? Are they Uncle Toms or sellouts, serving as traitors to their race? What is it really like to be a black person in the Republican Party? Black Elephants in the Room considers how race structures the political behavior of African American Republicans and discusses the dynamic relationship between race and political behavior in the purported "post-racial" context of US politics. Drawing on vivid first-person accounts, the book sheds light on the different ways black identity structures African Americans' membership in the Republican Party. Moving past rhetoric and politics, we begin to see the everyday people working to reconcile their commitment to black identity with their belief in Republican principles. And at the end, we learn the importance of understanding both the meanings African Americans attach to racial identity and the political contexts in which those meanings are developed and expressed.

Contents:

Frontmatter

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

CONTENTS

Introduction

CHAPTER ONE. From Many to Few

CHAPTER TWO. Beyond Uncle Tom

CHAPTER THREE. Race Doesn't Matter

CHAPTER FOUR. Black Power through Conservative Principles

CHAPTER FIVE. Like Crabs in a Barrel

CHAPTER SIX. Whither the Republican Party

Conclusion

METHODOLOGICAL APPENDIX

NOTES

REFERENCES

INDEX

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 24. Apr 2020)

ISBN:

9780520965508

0520965507

OCLC:

1006624254