The history of public library access for African Americans in the South, or, Leaving behind the plow

The story of the long struggle of African Americans to attain civil rights, particularly in the South, is well documented. The story of the public library movement in America is also well documented. However, the story of the African American struggle for access to public libraries in the South is not as well documented, with much of what has been written previously told in piecemeal fashion in short studies or confined to a particular southern state.



The History of Public Library Access for African Americans in the South: Or, Leaving Behind the Plow examines this subject in the context of the South as a cohesive region. It brings together and examines the three distinct fields involved in this history: Southern Studies, African American Studies, and Library Studies. How these three fields interact and influence one another inform the history of public library access for African Americans in the South.

• Acknowledgments p. v
• Preface p. vii
• Chapter 1 Early African American History: Becoming a Plow Hand p. 1
• Chapter 2 Precursors of Public Libraries in America p. 7
• Chapter 3 1820s-Mid-1840s: Early African American Educational Efforts p. 10
• Chapter 4 Mid-1840s-1860s: From Bad to Worse p. 15
• Chapter 5 The 1870s: Birth Pangs of the Modern Public Library Movement p. 19
• Chapter 6 1880s and 1890s: Dissipation of Newfound Rights p. 23
• Chapter 7 1900-1910: The Rise of Segregated Public Libraries p. 27
• Chapter 8 1911-1914: ALA Kaaterskill Conference p. 41
• Chapter 9 1915-1925: Segregation Strengthens p. 47
• Chapter 10 1921-1925: The New Negro Movement; ALA Tries Again p. 53
• Chapter 11 1926-Mid-1929: Calm before the Storm p. 59
• Chapter 12 Late 1929-1935: The Depression Years p. 65
• Chapter 13 1936-1940: Depression, Part Two p. 79
• Chapter 14 1941-1945: World War II p. 86
• Chapter 15 1945-1950: "Victory Era" for Whom? p. 92
• Chapter 16 1951-1955: Building toward Brown p. 103
• Chapter 17 1956-1959: Post-Brown p. 113
• Chapter 18 1960-1961: Civil Rights on the March p. 117
• Chapter 19 1962-1963: ALA in Turmoil p. 124
• Chapter 20 1964-1966 and Beyond: Civil Rights Realized p. 132
• Chapter 21 Conclusion: Casting Off the Yoke and Plow p. 140
• Works Cited p. 147
• Index p. 155
• About the Author p. 173