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xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS In his classic, Charlotte’sWeb, E. B.White writes, “It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer” (184). I am unusually fortunate to have so many people in my life that fit this description. While a graduate student at the University of Virginia, I was lucky enough to have Nelson Lichtenstein as an adviser; the confidence Nelson had in my work, even at its earliest stages, continues to amaze me. I will never be able to thank him enough for always being my advocate and for his willingness to read everything I have sent his way. In her exceptional scholarship and strong convictions, Grace Hale has also served as an important role model. I thank Grace for her honesty and for always urging me to pursue my interests—no matter how unconventional . Many others at Virginia provided valuable guidance, including Ed Ayers, Cindy Aron, Brian Owensby, Chuck McCurdy, and Eric Lott. Maire Murphy helped me navigate the often rough terrain of graduate school; years after we both have left Charlottesville, Maire remains a great friend who affirms my choices and is always willing to listen. I had the wonderful opportunity to hold a Smithsonian predoctoral fellowship at the National Museum of American History and to work with many talented scholars. Charlie McGovern believed in this project in its most abstract iteration and guided me to many invaluable resources. A terrific mentor with an encyclopedic mind for all things popular culture, Charlie had an immeasurable impact on this project. I appreciate Pete Daniel for creating and sustaining an intellectually vibrant community at the Smithsonian and the many fellows who enlightened me through their scholarship and reassured me in times of frustration. In addition, I thank Fath Ruffins for her reliable advice and her astute sense of perspective. I am grateful to the Department of History and Art History at George Mason University, where I held the J. N. G. Finley postdoctoral fellowship in 2003–4. At George Mason, I received remarkable guidance from the late Roy Rosenzweig, who, despite all of own his projects, always found time to read my work and provide suggestions. I also had the privilege of the late Larry Levine’s insights; Larry read the manuscript in its entirety, and his xii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS extensive comments forced me to think very differently about the meaning of black culture. I would like to thank editors Joanne Meyerowitz, of the Journal of American History, and Lucy Maddox and Marita Sturken, of American Quarterly, for their interest in my research and for placing earlier versions of portions of this work in such exciting forums so early in my professional career. Kathy Newman, George Roeder, and anonymous readers provided close, thoughtful readings of the manuscripts of my articles that informed my thinking throughout the book. This scholarship has been presented at conferences of the American Historical Association and the Organization of American Historians, and I appreciate Gary Gerstle, Lewis Erenberg, John Gennari, and Jonathan Holloway for their perspectives. Most of my research was conducted in Washington, D.C., and I would like to thank the helpful staffs at the National Archives, the Library of Congress , the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History, and the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University. In addition, I am grateful for the aid of archivists at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, which granted me the Eichelberger-Linzer Research Fellowship. Since January of 2005, Columbia, South Carolina, has been my home, and the Department of History at the University of South Carolina has been exceptionally kind and welcoming. Christine Ames, Ronald Atkinson , Marjorie Spruill, and Connie Schultz made my move down south and the transition to a new job seem much less overwhelming.While serving as chair of the history department, Patrick Maney always had my best interest at heart, and I thank him for his enthusiasm toward my research. Our current chair, Lacy Ford, generously provided additional resources toward completion of this book. I am much obliged to Mark Smith, who has helped me stay on course, with an unflagging confidence in my scholarship and academic potential. I thank Pat Sullivan for all of her great advice on publishing this book and for challenging me to always reevaluate the meaning of the black freedom struggle. In addition, Dan Carter extended the great gift of his wisdom and friendship while cheerfully agreeing to read this manuscript—his suggestions have proved invaluable. Finally, I...

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