African American Studies Commons^™

Introduction, Barbara Lewis

Trotter Review

A day or two after Barack Obama was elected president, a colleague with an international reputation for political savvy commented that George W. Bush had made it possible for Obama to be president.

“No,” I responded. “You can’t give that to Bush single-handedly. There is a whole history, a backlog of effort, not to mention Obama’s strategic genius, to explain the outcome of the election. Bush may have weakened the gate, but Obama pushed it open, and he had a whole group of folks, much bigger and more diverse than the Verizon network, behind him.”

The idea that white folks …

Oral Histories Of The Springfield, Illinois, Riot Of 1908, Edith Carpenter, Albert Harris, Nathan L. Cohn, Mattie Hale, Sharlottie Carr

Trotter Review

Most daily newspapers published at the turn of the twentieth century carried little news of the lives of African Americans, let alone their perspectives. That was indeed the case with the coverage of dailies in Springfield, Illinois, about the riot of August 1908 in which whites intentionally tracked, harmed, and killed blacks. Thanks to the foresight of oral historians working in the 1970s and the diligence of college librarians in preserving their interviews, a record exists of the varied responses of African-American residents to the violence of the roaming white mob. Some fled. Some hid. Others took up arms to …

Race, Politics, And Public Housekeeping: Contending Forces In Pauline Hopkins’S Boston, Betsy Klima

Trotter Review

For Pauline Hopkins, the decision to present readers with a fictional yet faithful portrayal of urban African-American life centered in Boston, which at that time was the capital of African-American advancement, was political. In her introduction to Contending Forces (1900), she writes: “Fiction is of great value to any people as a preserver of manners and customs—religious, political and social. It is a record of growth and development from generation to generation. No one will do this for us; we must ourselves develop the men and women who will faithfully portray the inmost thoughts and feelings of the Negro with …

The Houston Mutiny Of 1917, Garna L. Christian

Trotter Review

One of the deadliest race riots in the strife-ridden World War I period, the Houston Mutiny, otherwise known as the Camp Logan riot, resulted in more than twenty deaths and the largest number of executions in the history of the United States military.

The mutiny occurred on the night of August 23, 1917, less than a month after the Third Battalion of the African-American 24th Infantry arrived in Houston, Texas. Companies I, K, L, and M, consisting of 645 enlisted men and seven officers under the command of Col. William Newman, and later Maj. Kneeland S. Snow, drew the assignment …

The Racial History Of Juvenile Justice, Geoff K. Ward

Trotter Review

In October 2007, the Boston chapter of the NAACP hosted a roundtable on the Niagara Movement. In honor of the Niagara Movement meeting in Boston in 1907, the NAACP and the Trotter Institute collaborated on a series of events marking the centennial of the gathering Niagara men and women in Boston, the largest of five annual meetings of the Niagara Movement and the first to include women as voting delegates. The roundtable, like the 1907 Niagara Movement meeting, was held in Faneuil Hall. The inclusion of women as full participants in the Niagara Movement speaks to the force and significance …

Madre Patria (Mother Country): Latino Identity And Rejections Of Blackness, Marta I. Cruz-Janzen

Trotter Review

When I was in third grade, in Puerto Rico, I wanted to be the Virgin Mary for the community Christmas celebration. A teacher promptly informed me that the mother of Christ could not be black. A girl with blonde hair and blue eyes was selected for the role, and I was given the role of a shepherd. In middle school, also in Puerto Rico, I played a house servant for a school play. Only children of black heritage played the slaves and servants. A white student with a painted face portrayed the only significant black character. All the other characters …

A Historical Overview Of Poverty Among Blacks In Boston, 1950-1990, Robert C. Hayden

Trotter Review

Like most nineteenth-century residents of Boston, blacks worked hard to maintain their homes and families. Even before the Civil War, both enslaved and free blacks in "freedom's birthplace" worked long and arduous hours. Those who migrated to Boston from the South in the 1800s had come to secure higher wages, mobility, and opportunity for themselves and their families. Boston's black population grew from 2,000 in 1850 to 8,125 in 1890, and to 11,591 by 1900. In 1900, 39 percent of black Bostonians were northern-born (New England, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania), and 53 percent were southern-born.

Residential segregation for …

Black Expressive Art, Resistant Cultural Politics, And The [Re] Performance Of Patriotism, Deborah Elizabeth Whaley

Trotter Review

During World War I, the Boston editor William Monroe Trotter described black American patriotism as a cautious endeavor and America's willingness to participate in the World War while it turned its back on domestic issues as misguided. In an era when freedom bypassed most black women and men within the nation-state of America and in an era of mass lynching in the American South, he proclaimed that black Americans and the U.S. government might refocus their efforts on making the world safer for "Negroes."

Like William Monroe Trotter, the rap group Public Enemy's rap odyssey "Welcome to the Terrordome," from …

Race In Feminism: Critiques Of Bodily Self-Determination In Ida B. Wells And Anna Julia Cooper, Stephanie Athey

Trotter Review

If, as Angela Davis has argued, "the last decade of the nineteenth century was a critical moment in the development of modern racism," the same can be said of the development of modern feminism. Late nineteenth-century feminism, like institutional racism, saw "major institutional supports and ideological justifications" take shape across this period. Organizations of American women, both black and white, were shaping political arguments and crafting activist agendas in a post-Reconstruction America increasingly enamored of hereditary science, prone to lynching, and possessed of a virulent nationalism. This essay takes a historical view of "womanhood," bodily self-determination and well-being, concepts now …

Introduction, Barbara Lewis

Trotter Review

The Trotter Review, which has been published for over fifteen years, is entering a new phase. That is what the current issue represents, a marriage of old and new, a branching out into expanded territory that does not betray, we hope, the ideals or principles of the past.

What we have put together is historical and cultural and political. We raise questions. We draw connections and provide context as we focus on the local, the national, the international, and the diasporic. In addition, we give cognizance to the literary, as an expression of the urge to order the real, …

Pastor Brunson's Shofar, Richard Tenorio

Trotter Review

A short story by Richard Tenorio of sibling love and sacrificed ambition, which is set in Roxbury, traditionally the twentieth-century home territory for blacks in Boston. Today, Roxbury is poised on the lip of gentrification, and blacks in Boston are on the move again, seeking home and security and belonging.

Investigating The Heart Of A Community: Archaeological Excavations At The African Meeting House, Boston, Massachusetts, David B. Landon, Teresa Dujnic, Kate Descoteaux, Susan Jacobucci, Darios Felix, Marisa Patalano, Ryan Kennedy, Diana Gallagher, Ashley Peles, Jonathan Patton, Heather Trigg, Allison Bain, Cheryl Laroche

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

In collaboration with the Museum of African American History, an archaeological research team from the University of Massachusetts Boston carried out a data recovery excavation at the African Meeting House on Beacon Hill. The African Meeting House was a powerful social institution for 19thcentury Boston’s free black community. The site played an important role in the abolition movement, the creation of educational opportunity, and other community action for social and political equality. The Meeting House was originally built in 1806, and renovations in preparation for the 2006 bi-centennial celebration prompted an investigation of areas of the property to be impacted …

Front Matter: Trotter Review, Vol. 16, Issue 1

Trotter Review

Front Matter: Publication Information and Contents for Trotter Review, Vol. 16, Issue 1

Homosexuality And The Black Community, A Church Minister’S Perspective: Interview With Rev. Irene Monroe, Anne W. Gathuo

Trotter Review

In this interview, Rev. Irene Monroe points out that the issue of “Black homophobia” is a complicated one that can only be explained by examining racism and all the pertinent economic, social and cultural dynamics that emanate from the discrimination of the Black race in the United States. According to Monroe, the failure of Black communities to embrace their gay and lesbian sons and daughters stems partly from their lack of understanding of the racial dynamics affecting Black Gay and Lesbian people, as well as the rhetoric of the Black Evangelist right which is heavily influenced by White racist thought.

The “Who,“ “What,” “Where” And “How” Of The “Down Low”: A Personally‐Inspired Book Review Of Keith Boykin’S Beyond The Down Low: Sex, Lies And Denial In Black America, William H. Alexander

Trotter Review

In this review of Keith Boykin’s book on the Down Low, William H. Alexander draws generously from his own personal experience. According to Alexander, Boykin’s book is a wake up call and challenge to the Black community to stop wasting their time blaming and developing strategies that reject, exclude and oppress, but instead focus on their spirituality and humanity so that lives can be saved.

Homosexual And Racial Identity Conflicts And Depression Among African‐American Gay Males, William H. Alexander

Trotter Review

What does it mean to be male, Black and homosexual in the United States? In this study of 191 such men, William H. Alexander examines whether racial identity conflict and homosexual identity conflict contribute to depression in Black gay men. Alexander reports that being Black, a Black male, and a homosexual puts one in a vulnerable position that requires that he cope with a variety of stereotypes from every society with which he interacts. This pressure contributes to depression in this population.

Sorting It All Out: Book Review Of Delroy Constantine‐Simms’S The Greatest Taboo: Homosexuality In Black Communities, Anne W. Gathuo

Trotter Review

With contributors from an impressive array of scholars and journalists, The Greatest Taboo: Homosexuality in Black Communities, edited by Delroy Constantine‐Simms, attempts to tackle a wide variety of issues pertaining to homosexuality in Black communities in various parts of the world. While the book cannot claim to have satisfactorily explained all the issues, a fair attempt has been made. Certainly the book succeeds in illustrating the complexity of Black homosexuality.

Homosexuality And The Black Community, A Church Minister’S Perspective: Interview With Rev. Richard Richardson, Castellano Turner

Trotter Review

In this interview, Rev. Richard Richardson asserts that the Black church has always been the foundation on which the Black community has built its values. While not condoning the “sin” of homosexuality, Richardson maintains that the church does not turn away homosexuals and instead embraces them and attempts to teach them what God wants of them.

Gay Marriage And The Black Community, A Policy Maker’S Perspective: Interview With State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, Castellano Turner

Trotter Review

A vocal supporter of gay marriage, Senator Dianne Wilkerson explains in this interview that her support stems from her own reality as a Black person, a child of the Civil Rights movement, and her personal experiences with discrimination stemming from her skin color. As a policy maker, Wilkerson asserts her unwillingness to subject other human beings to the same treatment that she has been subjected to, because of their sexual orientation.

Introduction, Castellano Turner

Trotter Review

In addition to reporting research and providing analysis, the Trotter Review has always been a forum for presenting a range of perspectives on timely public issues in the Black community. In the fall of 2003 the Institute staff discussed the possibility of publishing a special issue of the Reviewdevoted to exploring the topic of “homosexuality and the Black community.”

Delivering Social Services Through Faith-Based Organizations: Case Of United Way Of Massachusetts Bay, Kevin Peterson

Trotter Review

As deliverers of social services, faith-based organizations have been stereotyped as being inefficient and focused on spiritual outcomes alone, and have therefore been largely ignored by funding agencies. The United Way of Massachusetts Bay, realizing the importance of such organizations, particularly in communities of color, has actively sought to dispel these stereotypes and work with faith-based organizations to enhance service delivery to needy Black communities in Massachusetts. Through training and participatory research, faith-based organizations have begun to appreciate the importance of measurable outcomes.

Moral Value And Market Values: The Impact On Africa In An Era Of Global Capitalism, Charles Stith

Trotter Review

In the era of global capitalism, the perennial tension between market and moral values has acquired new form and meaning. Ambassador Stith attempts to unravel the issues of morality within the context of a global market in recession, stagnated economies of the developing world, ever-changing technology and the reality of terrorism. Stith contends that the church has largely failed to reconcile the morality that it teaches, with the market in which it operates. He makes the argument that moral values are not just desirable; they are necessary for long-term survival of both the developing and developed world. The key, is …

Towards Understanding The Emergence Of African-American Church Schools: Early Hypotheses And A Research Agenda, Georgia A. Persons

Trotter Review

A survey of the Atlanta metropolitan area reveals a growing trend in African-American church sponsored schools. The emergence of these schools is curious in that it is counterintuitive to the protection of the public school system on which the majority of African-Americans rely; the schools are mainly in the suburbs where the public schools offer relatively high standards of education; and there seems to be no public debate accompanying a trend that is likely to have far-reaching public policy implications. In this article, the author discusses the possible reasons for the emergence of these schools and the potential public policy …

Democracy Through An Undemocratic Institution? The Church As Part Of Civil Society, Anne Gathuo

Trotter Review

With the resurgence of civil society in the last two decades, the church has risen in importance as an agency for democracy, campaigning for government reform and conducting civic education among citizens. Yet the church remains internally undemocratic and rigidly traditional. Can an institution that refuses to embrace democratic practices help enhance democracy in the wider society in which it operates? The author discusses the advantages and disadvantages that the church has in democratization, relative to other groups in civil society.

The Elusive Search For The Truth: A Book Review Of Peter Gomes's Strength For The Journey: Biblical Wisdom For Daily Living, Devonya N. Havis

Trotter Review

Through his collection of sermons, published in his book Strength for the Journey: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living (HarperCollins Publishers, 2003), Peter Gomes sets out to evoke a transformation in the reader by offering meditations on questions that often arise when we contemplate how to lead the "good life". He offers biblical wisdom as a practical means in which to achieve happiness. Ultimately however, his solution to life's complexities is abstract and he fails to provide a roadmap with which to negotiate the complexities.

The Enduring Black Church And Its Critics: A Book Review Of Omar Mcroberts's Streets Of Glory, Kenneth D. Johnson

Trotter Review

This review examines several theses and methodologies regarding Black Church activism and contribution to community economic development in an economically depressed inner city neighborhood as presented in Omar McRoberts's Streets of Glory (University of Chicago Press, 2003). It finds the questions of interest, but empirical support for many of the author's theses lacking when considered from a cross-comparative national perspective.

Introduction, Castellano Turner

Trotter Review

This issue of the Trotter Review continues a tradition of focusing on a topic to which diverse perspectives can be brought together. The central role of the church in Black communities throughout the United States is widely acknowledged. That role goes well beyond providing a venue for worship and individual spiritual development. The role of the Black church in the Civil Rights Movement was a clear demonstration of its commitment to a broader mission. Although movements may fade away, the Black church has consistently redefined itself to attend to the real and current problems facing its membership and the broader …

Nation Of Islam In Civil Society: An Interview With Minister Don Muhammad, Castellano Turner

Trotter Review

From Castellano Turner: It was a genuine pleasure to interview Minister Don Muhammad on the topic, "The Nation of Islam in civil society." The reader will be struck, as I was, by the detail and historical reach in his analysis of the Nation of Islam's consistency and evolution as a movement among Black Americans. Those who remember the Black activist rhetoric of the 1960s and 1970s will hear echoes of those volatile times. Many of the most radical groups of those times have faded into history; but like the Black church, the value and commitment of the Nation of Islam …

Grandparent Care In The African-American Population, Jan Mutchler, Seungah Lee, Lindsey A. Baker

Gerontology Institute Publications

The purpose of this report is to provide information on African-American grandparent caregivers in the United States. Many grandparents are responsible for grandchildren who live with them in the same household. The 1996 Welfare Reform Act mandates that statistics be collected on grandparents who serve as caregivers to a grandchild. In response to this requirement, questions were developed for the 2000 Census of Population asking each adult about care for grandchildren living in the same household. We use the census information to identify grandparents who are caring for grandchildren in two different types of households: skipped-generation households, in which a …

Black Women In Durham Politics, 1950-1996: From Grassroots To Electoral Politics, Grace Walton

New England Journal of Public Policy

Based on the author's senior thesis in African-American history; this article about black women by a black woman was conceived to educate Americans about a different kind of history. It illustrates the silent political struggles of black women in Durham, North Carolina, and their gradual acceptance into American politics from 1950 to 1996. The oral history design demonstrates that black women's political activity underwent a transformation from grassroots politics to full electoral participation, which brought them to the forefront of Durham politics. Through both types of political activity, the unique political consciousness of black women continues to have a great …