The Columbia guide to African American history since 1939

Presenting a multifaceted approach to understanding the central developments in African American history since 1939, this volume combines an historical overview, essays on specific facets of the African American experience, a chronology of events, and a guide to further resources.

An extensive A-to-Z listing provides information on various movements and figures.

While emphasizing political and social developments, the book also illuminates themes in economic and cultural history.

Marian Anderson's famous 1939 concert in front of the Lincoln Memorial was a watershed event in the struggle for racial justice.

Taking this event as its starting point, this volume charts the history of African Americans and the efforts to address racism and inequality.

The book explores the rise of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements and the national and international contexts that shaped their ideologies and methods.

The authors also consider recent developments, including how immigration patterns have complicated the conventional "black/white" dichotomy in U.S. society, and the sometimes uneasy coexistence between a growing African American middle class and a persistent and sizable underclass.In the second part of the book, leading scholars consider specific issues in African American life: the postindustrial economy, music, service in the military, sports, literature and culture, business, and the politics of self-designation, e.g., "Colored" vs. "Negro," "Black" vs. "African American".