University of Georgia Press Liberalism, Black Power, and the Making of American Politics

Explore a new perspective on American political history with Devin Fergus's study of the years between 1965 and 1980. This book examines the relationship between liberalism and black nationalism during the eras of Johnson, Nixon, Carter, and Helms. Instead of viewing the liberal coalition as a group torn apart by the demands of Black Power, Fergus investigates how these groups may have engaged in a productive relationship. This work looks at how black separatists were absorbed into the political mainstream, potentially preventing more violent paths. It also re-evaluates the rise of the New Right, suggesting it was not just a reaction to Great Society Democrats but was shaped by these changing political dynamics. Part of the Politics and Culture in the Twentieth-Century South series, this book provides a fresh lens for understanding how radical movements and mainstream politics shaped the modern United States.