Episode 2: Nadir
Post Civil War and Reconstruction Era lies a horrific and violent period of racism in America. Known as the Nadir of American race relations, this spanned from approximately 1887 to the early 1900s and was coined to describe the lynchings of thousands of African Americans, chain gangs, and disenfranchisement. Racism did not disappear after the 13th and 14th Amendments were passed. White supremacy was thriving; thus White Americans changed their methodology to accommodate these new laws and contexts. Let’s talk about it:
By examining work written by author and educator Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown, alongside other relevant sources, we will explore some of the tactics African American women employed to influence politics despite their disenfranchisement. This analysis espouses that African American women were always ready to adapt to the changing face of racism- which will ultimately lead to an exploration of questions that arise when studying the persistence with which these women fought. It seems coincidental these techniques of organizing were enacted by Black women all over the country, so how was this done? How did society perceive Black suffragists compared to White suffragists like Susan B. Anthony? And what can we do with this information today?
For the full script & citations for this episode, head on over to the respective pages where they will be laid out in chronological order.
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