At his 1963 inauguration in Montgomery, Governor George C. Wallace pledged racial defiance forever in the heart of Dixie:
"In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny... and I say... segregation today... segregation tomorrow... segregation forever."
A few short months later, in his "I Have A Dream" speech in Washington, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. articulated an alternate vision of Southern race relations:
"I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers."
Neither of these guys -- the two most prominent protagonists in Southern racial history -- had a clue back then about how Alabama and the South would look a half-century later. Little did Wallace and King know that, as I will illustrate, both races would embrace ironic and un-visionary accommodations in the 21st century.
King was killed by an assassin's bullet five years after his "Dream" speech; so he never saw the fruits of his labor. Wallace was shot and paralyzed a decade after his inaugural remarks about "segregation forever"; he died years later, a changed politician and repentant man grieving about his role in history and history books.
So, what would I tell King and Wallace about Alabama and the South if somehow I could communicate with them today? How would I explain -- from my perspective and position inside Southern politics -- about where we are now? And how did we mangle history and democracy to get here?
A Tale of Hard History, Ugly Democracy, Practical Politics
Sadly, I would have to admit to them that racism extends into the new century. But I also would relate an intriguing story of evolving race relations in this region.
That story -- as told in this series of posts -- is that the South changed unpredictably and considerably, for practical reasons embraced by both blacks and whites, since the civil rights movement; and in many respects, this region now practices an ironic but somewhat normalizing version of national politics.
Then, for rhetorical purposes, I would ask Dr. King and Gov. Wallace to imagine Rosa Parks finally agreeing to ride in the back of the bus, now equipped with La-Z-Boy recliners across that back row. Imagine Bull Connor serving Southern sweet iced tea to demonstrators as they stroll amiably along the sidewalks of Birmingham. Picture the Bloody Sunday marchers being shuttled respectfully from Selma to Montgomery by Alabama State Troopers in air-conditioned squad cars, lights ablazing and sirens ablaring.
Or, I would tell them to imagine George Wallace cheering Tuskegee and Alabama State at the annual Turkey Day Football Classic and Martin Luther King tossing the ceremonial coin for the Auburn-Alabama Iron Bowl a couple days later?
And all of these "imagines" occur under the vigilant and approving guidance of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department.
A Striking Evolution
Such conjured scenarios are weird exaggerations. But they serve to emphasize a striking evolution in Southern politics. A new race game prevails in this part of the country in the 21st century. In a land still wrought with race and racism, white and black cultures now co-exist, often co-mingle, and routinely cooperate in strange, unprecedented fashion. Clearly the game favors white majorities and their conservative priorities, but black minorities now participate and their concerns sometimes take center stage with constructive outcomes .
Of course, there's not much public talk among the politicians themselves about a new system of race relations, especially if the conversation smacks of race-mongering or unprincipled racial compromise. Southern officials -- black and white -- have to be wary in their comments, lest they offend mainstream society or run afoul of their own racial constituencies. So, even while pursuing positive change, they tend to respect the norms and traditions of the divided cultures, negotiating contentious problems on an ad hoc basis, sometimes openly and sometimes privately, and in a way that allows personal political flexibility or, if necessary, tactical resort to the old ways of Southern history.
So, What Is Going on in the South?
I am no longer a practicing participant in contemporary Southern politics, and surveying current officials about this phenomenon would probably prove useless. But I am sufficiently wired into the regional system through focused observation and informal conversation with friends and associates to have a continuing, solid basis for my assessment of the new racial relationships.
The academic community and professional media have yet to focus on this aspect of black-white relations; obviously, there's no proclaimed code of procedures for such politicking. Therefore, it is difficult to articulate -- clearly, concisely, and authoritatively -- the changed role of race in real Southern politics.
But I will try, in this eight-part series of posts, to explain the new system as a sophisticated yet awkward and sometimes unsavory -- but generally biracial and functional -- accommodation of regional change among both Southern politicians and the Southern people.
Some readers will be appalled (and even angered) by this series; but they'll likely derive a better understanding of contemporary developments in this part of the country. And I hope that this series will evoke a candid discussion of racial politics in the rest of America.
Disclosure and Acknowledgement: This series includes edited, updated material from one of my books: The South's New Racial Politics: Inside the Race game of Recent Southern History (2009): and portions of these posts will be included in an upcoming book. I'm grateful to NewSouth Books for allowing me to borrow from those publications for my discussions on the Huffington Post.
Yes, there are numerous well educated Black residents, but unfortunately these "leaders", many of whom are the children of past Civil Rights Leaders, have forsaken the struggle.
In 2013 the City will be celebrating the 50th Year Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act,and the Mayor announced that he is looking for many other "notable" dignitaries. It will be a dog and pony show, but those people who actually felt the chains, the dog bites, and the indignities of living will behidden away. But anyone with bi-focals will see a City in limbo.
I met a black man who was arrested because he had no running water in his home, so, I hope that your is fact and truth based.
The reliable rumor mill has reported since the fifties that Bull Connor was engaging in some unsavory things in parts of Black Birmingham, and was often heard saying that he was "directed" to put on a show for the cameras. I don't know this to be true, but the rumors have been ofetn repeated.
The destiny of all racists as they prepare (on their deathbed) to enter hell.
This site reminds me of Black History Month where the educational programs that discuss the reality of our history in America is shown at 2 O'clock in the morning! (Lol); I laugh to keep from crying.
The original 13 colonies and their back countries were settled by incredibly diverse people. That the North thinks the South is intellectually dim goes back to the 1690's. That the South thinks the North is same goes back to 1710.
The North was settled by people who came here to escape the Church of England. The South was settled by the younger sons of English gentry. You really think this has no effect in current politics?
I was actually an US history major at UCSB in 1969. History does not allow for politics--it is what it is. It either happened or it did not.
You might want to look at Colin Woodward's book "American Nations." It is one of the best explanations I have found for the present toxic polaritization. It is an explanation of the cultures which founded America and how they have influenced it since.
I don't want to be critical of this eight part series before reading at least a few more posts, but I'll say this. Browder's first post was anything bu clear or concise. He spent 925 words informing us that he'll be writing about the politics of race in the South without expounding on the topic itself at all.
Try not to be so mean, please. Let's wait and see how he runs through those historically always problematic racial issues up to the now still unpleasant realities between races. Anyone who actively and positively chooses to discuss these subjects deserves tremendous credits. The nation needs such a systemic analysis from a real experienced specialist like Mr. Glen Browder so badly right now.
Except the ones (the majority, I might add) that did not win the "voucher lottery" and are continously stuck in the poor, failing schools. Would be nice to, instead of giving money to poor students to attend private schools...fix up the public ones so ALL kids can have access to a decent education, and not just the ones who were lucky enough to have their "name come up" for a voucher....