In this Book
- Fire on the Prairie: Harold Washington, Chicago Politics, and the Roots of the Obama Presidency
- Book
- 2012
- Published by: Temple University Press
- Series: Urban Life, Landscape and Policy
Harold Washington’s historic and improbable victory over the vaunted Chicago political machine shook up American politics. The election of the enigmatic yet engaging Washington led to his serving five tumultuous years as the city’s first black mayor. He fashioned an uneasy but potent multiracial coalition that today still stands as a model for political change.
In this revised edition of Fire on the Prairie, acclaimed reporter Gary Rivlin chronicles Washington’s legacy—a tale rich in character and intrigue. He reveals the cronyism of Daley’s government and Washington’s rivalry with Jesse Jackson. Rivlin also shows how Washington’s success inspired a young community organizer named Barack Obama to turn to the electoral arena as a vehicle for change. While the story of a single city, , this political biography is anything but parochial.
Table of Contents
- Title Page, Copyright, Dedication
- pp. iii-iv
- Foreword to the Revised Edition
- pp. vii-xi
- Acknowledgments
- p. xxxi
- Book I. A Racial Thing, 1983
- 1. A Cry in the Wind
- pp. 5-15
- 2. The Conspirators
- pp. 16-25
- 3. The Chosen
- pp. 26-40
- 4. The Catalyst
- pp. 41-51
- 5. The Jesse Jackson Factor
- pp. 52-63
- 6. The Family Business
- pp. 64-71
- 7. The Liberal Apology
- pp. 72-81
- 8. A Tower of Babble
- pp. 82-93
- 9. A Racial Thing
- pp. 94-103
- 10. Positively Antebellum
- pp. 104-116
- 11. A City Divided
- pp. 117-129
- Book II. Council Wars, 1983–1986
- 12. The Biggest Bully in the Bar
- pp. 133-145
- 13. Balancing Acts
- pp. 146-161
- 14. Beirut on the Lake
- pp. 162-171
- 15. Black Reform, White Reform
- pp. 172-187
- 16. The Chicago Experiment
- pp. 188-196
- 17. A Midterm Blunder
- pp. 197-209
- 18. The Continuing Saga of Clarence McClain
- pp. 210-218
- Book III. Something Less Than Hate, 1986–1987
- 19. The Reckoning
- pp. 221-229
- 20. Any White Will Do
- pp. 230-242
- 21. Thy Kingdom at Hand
- pp. 243-250
- 22. The Empire Strikes Back
- pp. 251-262
- Note on Sources
- pp. 263-265
Additional Information
Copyright
2012