Brief Summary of Chapter 2

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15

Whose Idea Was This?

Chapter 2 gives a selective history of the development of skin color racism. The purpose is to establish a foundation for understanding racism as it exists in America in the 21st century. Five periods of American history are discussed: 1) British settlement, 1607--1740s; 2) United States becomes a nation, 1775--1812; 3) The abolition movement, 1830--1865; 4) Ascent of segregation and Jim Crow, 1877--1944; 5) Birth of a national civil rights identity, 1954--1968.

The chapter concludes that each period in American history has had unique challenges and opportunities to establish civil rights for all Americans. The 21st century requires a restatement of the civil rights goal that is relevant for today.

Tocqueville documented early American racism

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20

The Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville visited America in 1831. He described the society as Anglo-American where white Americans claim superiority over the Indians and blacks. He reported on a conversation with a man in Pennsylvania who claimed “The Negroes have an undisputed right of voting, but they voluntarily abstain from making their appearance

SNCC Revival

Chapter

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31

In August of 1960, Ella Baker, a former executive directory of Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), organized a conference for student leaders on the campus of Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. The idea was to organize students as a parallel organization to support Dr. King's work.

Dr. King got more than he asked