The Cayton legacy : an African American family

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Call Number
E185.96 .H577 2002
Status
Available

Stone Center Library

Call Number
E185.96 .H577 2002 c. 2
Status
Available

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Summary

The evolution of a remarkable African American family--the Caytons--is a brilliantly told tale set primarily in Seattle and Chicago. The Caytons lived a true American saga, illuminating the black and white experience in the United States and the troubled, tortuous course of race relations.

Several generations of the Horace and Susie Cayton family spanned the period from the Civil War to the present. They were a distinguished family, conscious of their historical heritage and distinct identity. The Caytons sought to define themselves in relation to their family traditions and to society as a whole. In the process, they attained financial success and influence both nationally and regionally. They published newspapers, authored books and articles, held public office, worked for civil and human rights, and established relationships with major black and white community and cultural leaders in America and France.

They also faced racial discrimination and duress, business and professional failures, and even poverty. And some struggled against the personal challenges of alcoholism, depression, and drug addiction. Yet the force of the family legacy--of being "a Cayton"--impelled most of them to make significant contributions and accomplish high achievements.

They speak to us with deep insight about our society--sharpening our understanding of the past, and enhancing our sense of individual and collective identity in the modern age.

Contents

  • Acknowledgements p. vi
  • Preface p. ix
  • Introduction: The Cayton Legacy p. xiii
  • 1. Of a Senator and Slaves: The Hiram Revels and Evans Cayton Families, c. 1825-1896 p. 1
  • 2. Way Out West: Horace Cayton Sr. and Susie Revels, 1872-1896 p. 11
  • 3. The Queen City: Susie and Horace Sr., 1894-1913 p. 23
  • 4. Life on the Horns: The Parents--Work and Family, 1914-1932 p. 51
  • 5. Go Out and Achieve: The Family Crucible, 1914-1931 p. 67
  • 6. The Torch is Passed: The Cayton Family, 1931-1943 p. 87
  • 7. A Black Metropolis: Horace Jr., Madge, and Susan, 1931-1943 p. 103
  • 8. Dark Mirror of Our Lives: Horace Jr., Madge, and Susan, 1943-1948 p. 127
  • 9. A Spirit of Steadfast Determination: Revels in San Francisco and Los Angeles, 1934-1945 p. 147
  • 10. With the Safest Man in America: Revels and Horace Jr. in New York, 1946-1959 p. 161
  • 11. The Uplift: Horace Jr., Lillie, and Revels in California, 1950s to 1995 p. 177
  • Epilogue: The Legacy Endures--Susan Cayton Woodson p. 205
  • About the Author p. 208
  • Endnotes p. 209
  • Bibliography p. 235
  • Index p. 242

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