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Acknowledgments I find it remarkable and humbling to take stock of the many people who have supported me and this project over the years, and I welcome the opportunity to publicly acknowledge them. I owe a deep debt to Nick Salvatore, of Cornell University, who first introduced me to the notion that history could be a professional pursuit, not merely an interest. Nick offered guidance and patience, showed me how to study history, and provided a model for teaching it as well. He exposed me to the joys of research by hiring me as his assistant. Nick has been a mentor to me for years; I am blessed to also call him a friend. At the University of California at Berkeley, Leon Litwack opened his doors to me, literally. He lent me the use of his office and his extensive library. He taught me the pleasure of writing and the responsibility of giving voice to the too often voiceless. My admiration for him only grows with time. In those formative years of my progress toward becoming an historian, Waldo Martin Jr., the late Barbara Christian, and Paula Fass helped to shape and guide my thinking about the craft of history generally and African American history specifically. At Berkeley, I joined a supportive community that included Karen Leong, Brigitte Koenig, and Michelle Krowl, who offered good dinners and good conversation. And Patrick Rael and Betty Dessants guided and advised with the wisdom of those who had traversed the waters before me. Since leaving the comforting environs of Dwinelle Hall, I have been fortunate to find support from historians elsewhere. I am especially grateful to Shane White, who has been tremendously generous with his time and energy.James Grossman found time to offer detailed commentary on one of the chapters and persistently nudged me to finish the manuscript. Glenda Gilmore provided valuable feedback, and David Blight has offered moral support and encouragement. Thanks go to a group of dedicated colleagues at both Hamilton College and Albion College whose pursuit of their own research agendas has inspired me to continue pursuing my own. They have also demonstrated by example that one can aspire to be both a teacher and a scholar. They include Tom Chambers, Geoffrey Cocks, Wes Dick, Andrew Grossman, Chris Hagerman, Maurice Isserman, Deborah 230 Acknowledgments Kanter, William Rose, Yi-Li Wu, and Midori Yoshii. At Albion, I have benefited from the research assistance ofJayne Ptolemy, who promises to soon become an exceptional historian in her own right. Peter Agree, social sciences editor at the University of Pennsylvania Press, first contacted me about my work when this project was still in its infancy. The confidence he has consistently demonstrated in me and the patience he has unfailingly exhibited have helped me immeasurably. I could not have imagined a more supportive relationship than the one he has offered me. Acquisitions assistant Laura Miller and associate managing editor Erica Ginsburg endured my relentless questions as they guided me through the murky waters of preparing a manuscript for publication . Numerous librarians have generously provided me with their time and expertise. A late Friday afternoon telephone call to Oberlin College fortuitously put me in touch with Tom Hinders. His efforts on behalf of a total stranger helped me to secure one of the images in the book. Similarly , critical assistance from Jennie Thomas at the Albion College Archives, Linda Gordon at the Brookside Museum, and Ruth Clayman at the New York State Library allowed me to finalize the material for the manuscript. Generous grants from the New York State Library, the University of California at Berkeley, and the Faculty Development Endowment at Albion College supplied the funding to permit this project to reach fruition . On a more personal note, Pixie and Sid Markowitz provided extraordinary hospitality over many months of research in New York City. Lynne Sacks read a chapter very early in this process and gave me the confidence to finally share my work in the public sphere. My in-laws, Celia Villegas Montoya and Claudio Zuniga Leon, granted me the precious gift of time. Year in and year out, they cared for my children over long summer weeks, permitting me the opportunity to research and write without childcare responsibilities. This work could not have been completed without their generosity. My parents, Sharon and Marvin Freedman, have lent their support in many forms over the years. Perhaps most significantly, they have allowed the issues that I study to become a conspicuous part of their...

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