Digital Commons Network^™

"They Were Her Daughters:" Women And Grassroots Organizing For Social Justice In The Arkansas Delta, 1870-1970, Jayme Millsap Stone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Arkansas Delta has a rich history of struggle and resistance, however, little is known about how local people organized for social justice. The widely-held belief is that black, male church pastors defined civil rights issues in their communities and led the people to action when they believed it was appropriate. This study is a corrective for this assumption and illustrates how black women--activist mothers--used the churches and African American religion as launching points for activist activities that they deemed critical to survival. As grassroots caretakers of the black community, local personalities---as teachers and tenant farmers, as club women, race …