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The Resource A terrible thing to waste : Arthur Fletcher and the conundrum of the Black Republican, David Hamilton Golland

A terrible thing to waste : Arthur Fletcher and the conundrum of the Black Republican, David Hamilton Golland

Creator
Author
Summary
"Arthur Allen Fletcher was the most important civil rights leader you've (probably) never heard of. Although this Kansan's name appears in books on affirmative action, the United Negro College Fund, and in the recent and growing scholarship on Black Republicans, the story of the man who coined the phrase "A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" has been left out of standard treatments on the civil rights era. The life of Arthur Fletcher represents the triumph, tragedy, and conundrum of the postwar Black Republican. In 1946, when he returned home to Kansas after World War II, the Republican Party was "the Party of Lincoln," a big tent truly welcoming of African Americans. Its 1960 presidential platform was stronger on civil rights than that of the Democrats. But New Movement Conservatism and Nixon's Southern Strategy steadily alienated Black voters even as candidates like Ronald Reagan used coded racist language to appeal to unreconstructed white Southerners and the Northern white working class. Whereas Fletcher could triumphantly implement affirmative action during the early Nixon administration, his ability to promote civil rights policy tragically eroded in the following decades. Today, African Americans who are right-of-center on issues other than race relations face a conundrum: support the Democrats with whom they agree on civil rights but little else, or stick with a Republican Party from which they have been alienated. A Terrible Thing to Waste is the first biography of Fletcher. The book traces his life from his origins in Kansas in the 1920s to his death in 2005, still committed to his ideals but angry about American racism and exhausted by a Party that wanted to reverse his achievements"--
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
400 pages
Contents
  • Origins, 1924-1945
  • A terrible thing to waste, 1946-1960
  • Moon shot, 1961-1969
  • The man with the plan, 1969-1971
  • Roller coaster, 1971-1979
  • Bush for president, 1980-1989
  • Man of rage, 1990-1995
  • Conclusion: the conundrum of the black Republican
Isbn
9780700627646
Instance
Label
A terrible thing to waste : Arthur Fletcher and the conundrum of the Black Republican
Title
A terrible thing to waste
Title remainder
Arthur Fletcher and the conundrum of the Black Republican
Statement of responsibility
David Hamilton Golland
Title variation
Arthur Fletcher and the conundrum of the Black Republican
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
"Arthur Allen Fletcher was the most important civil rights leader you've (probably) never heard of. Although this Kansan's name appears in books on affirmative action, the United Negro College Fund, and in the recent and growing scholarship on Black Republicans, the story of the man who coined the phrase "A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste" has been left out of standard treatments on the civil rights era. The life of Arthur Fletcher represents the triumph, tragedy, and conundrum of the postwar Black Republican. In 1946, when he returned home to Kansas after World War II, the Republican Party was "the Party of Lincoln," a big tent truly welcoming of African Americans. Its 1960 presidential platform was stronger on civil rights than that of the Democrats. But New Movement Conservatism and Nixon's Southern Strategy steadily alienated Black voters even as candidates like Ronald Reagan used coded racist language to appeal to unreconstructed white Southerners and the Northern white working class. Whereas Fletcher could triumphantly implement affirmative action during the early Nixon administration, his ability to promote civil rights policy tragically eroded in the following decades. Today, African Americans who are right-of-center on issues other than race relations face a conundrum: support the Democrats with whom they agree on civil rights but little else, or stick with a Republican Party from which they have been alienated. A Terrible Thing to Waste is the first biography of Fletcher. The book traces his life from his origins in Kansas in the 1920s to his death in 2005, still committed to his ideals but angry about American racism and exhausted by a Party that wanted to reverse his achievements"--
Assigning source
Provided by publisher
Biography type
individual biography
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Golland, David Hamilton
Dewey number
  • 323.092
  • B
Government publication
government publication of a state province territory dependency etc
Illustrations
illustrations
Index
index present
LC call number
E185.97.F478
LC item number
G65 2019
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • Fletcher, Arthur
  • Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )
  • African American civil rights workers
  • Civil rights workers
  • Political activists
  • Conservatism
Label
A terrible thing to waste : Arthur Fletcher and the conundrum of the Black Republican, David Hamilton Golland
Instantiates
Publication
Bar code
31223127902154
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Origins, 1924-1945 -- A terrible thing to waste, 1946-1960 -- Moon shot, 1961-1969 -- The man with the plan, 1969-1971 -- Roller coaster, 1971-1979 -- Bush for president, 1980-1989 -- Man of rage, 1990-1995 -- Conclusion: the conundrum of the black Republican
Dimensions
25 cm
Extent
400 pages
Isbn
9780700627646
Lccn
2018050288
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
(OCoLC)1066130280
Label
A terrible thing to waste : Arthur Fletcher and the conundrum of the Black Republican, David Hamilton Golland
Publication
Bar code
31223127902154
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
Origins, 1924-1945 -- A terrible thing to waste, 1946-1960 -- Moon shot, 1961-1969 -- The man with the plan, 1969-1971 -- Roller coaster, 1971-1979 -- Bush for president, 1980-1989 -- Man of rage, 1990-1995 -- Conclusion: the conundrum of the black Republican
Dimensions
25 cm
Extent
400 pages
Isbn
9780700627646
Lccn
2018050288
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations
System control number
(OCoLC)1066130280

Subject

Genre

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