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Polite Protest: The Political Economy of Race in Indianapolis, 1920-1970

Book
Richard B. Pierce
2005
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This history of the black community of Indianapolis in the 20th century focuses on methods of political action -- protracted negotiations, interracial coalitions, petition, and legal challenge -- employed to secure their civil rights. These methods of "polite protest" set Indianapolis apart from many Northern cities. Richard B. Pierce looks at how the black community worked to alter the political and social culture of Indianapolis. As local leaders became concerned with the city's image, black leaders found it possible to achieve gains by working with whites inside the existing power structure, while continuing to press for further reform and advancement. Pierce describes how Indianapolis differed from its Northern cousins such as Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit. Here, the city's people, black and white, created their own patterns and platforms of racial relations in the public and cultural spheres.

Table of Contents

Cover/Title Page/Copyright

pp. i-v

Contents

pp. vii

Acknowledgments

pp. ix-x

Introduction

pp. 1-8

1. More than a Game: The Political Meaning of High School Basketball in Indianapolis

pp. 9-25

2. "We Have Given You No Extremists": The Challenge against Segregated Schools

pp. 26-55

3. "We Were Always Fighting the Housing Battle": African American Housing in Indianapolis

pp. 56-84

4. "You're Tired, Chile": Work Opportunities and Restrictions for Indianapolis's African Americans

pp. 85-108

5. Building a Fence around the city: African Americans and Unigov

pp. 109-123

Conclusion

pp. 124-127

Notes

pp. 129-147

Index [Includes About the Author]

pp. 149-156
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