Family of Freedom: Presidents and African Americans in the White House

by Walsh,Kenneth T.

• ISBN13: 9781594518331
• ISBN10: 1594518335
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2011-02-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book examines the intertwined relationships between the presidents and the African Americans who have been an integral part of the White House since the beginning of the Republic. The book discusses the racial attitudes and policies of the presidents and shows how African Americans helped to shape those attitudes and policies over the years. The analysis starts with the early presidents who had slaves and tells the compelling stories of their interactions, with an emphasis on how these slaves dealt with bondage in the supposed citadel of American freedom and independence. The book moves through the era of Abraham Lincoln, whose views on emancipation were greatly influenced by the African Americans around him, especially by White House seamstress Elizabeth Keckley and valet William Slade. The book covers the Jim Crow era and proceeds through the political and cultural breakthroughs on civil rights accomplished by Lyndon Johnson in partnership with the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. The book ends with an insightful analysis of the rise, election, and administration of Barack Obama, the first African American president, including an exclusive interview with Obama.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Letter from Abraham Lincoln to Michael Hahn	p. xiii
The Family of Freedom and the Arc of Racial History	p. 1
The Slave-Owning Presidents	p. 17
The Emancipator	p. 35
Opportunity Lost	p. 53
Jim Crow	p. 61
Stirrings of Change	p. 83
A Few Shining Moments	p. 97
Camelot in Black and White	p. 111
The Breakthrough	p. 125
Mixed Results in a Conservative Era	p. 139
Three Southern Presidents	p. 157
The First Black President	p. 183
Charisma and Reality	p. 215
Notes	p. 225
Bibliography	p. 245
Index	p. 257
About the Author	p. 266
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