Exodus Politics: Civil Rights and Leadership in African American Literature and Culture PDF
Preview Exodus Politics: Civil Rights and Leadership in African American Literature and Culture
Exodus Politics Exodus Politics Civil Rights and Leadership in African American Literature and Culture robert j. patterson University of Virginia Press charlottesville and london University of Virginia Press © 2013 by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper First published 2013 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 library of congress cataloging-in-publication data Patterson, Robert J., [date] Exodus politics : civil rights and leadership in African American literature and culture / Robert J. Patterson. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8139-3525-6 (cloth : acid-free paper) ISBN 978-0-8139-3526-3 (pbk. : acid-free paper) ISBN 978-0-8139-3527-0 (e-book) 1. American literature—African American authors—History and criticism. 2. Civil rights in literature. 3. Leadership in literature. I. Title. PS153.N5P366 2013 810.9'896073—dc23 0 1 3 0 1 1 9 0 0 2 A book in the American Literatures Initiative (ALI), a collaborative publishing project of NYU Press, Fordham University Press, Rutgers University Press, Temple University Press, and the University of Virginia Press. The Initiative is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. For more information, please visit www.americanliteratures.org. For my first love, my greatest love For Doris J. Patterson For Marcilyn L. Patterson For Bessie L. Patterson For the love of music For the children: the nieces, nephews, goddaughters, and godsons For those who came before and those who will come after For doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly For life, love, laughter, grace, and the spirit of generosity For one of many moments in time Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction: Civil Rights, Leadership, and Exodus Politics 1 1 “Is He the One?”: Civil Rights Activism and Leadership in Ernest Gaines’s The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman 33 2 “The Refusal of Christ to Accept Crucifixion”: Bridge Leadership in Alice Walker’s Meridian 62 3 “The Important Thing Is Making Generations”: Reproduction and Blues Performance as Forms of Civil Rights Leadership in Gayl Jones’s Corregidora 90 4 “We All Killed Him”: The Limits of Formal Leadership and Civil Rights Legislation in Charles Johnson’s Dreamer 125 Epilogue: Is There Life after Exodus Politics? 153 Notes 163 Bibliography 179 Index 195 Acknowledgments Exodus Politics came to fruition not simply as a result of my research, thinking, and writing. Thankfully, I also had friends and colleagues who provided intellectual spaces in which my ideas could grow. Equally important, I had friends and family who provided the emotional support necessary for me to succeed in this endeavor. And last but certainly not least, God and the Spirit were always present, helping me to keep my eyes on the prize—the finished product. Even though I often wrote this book while alone, I am joyous and grateful that I never was lonely when I wrote. While writing a book, one incurs many debts—individual, personal, professional, and institutional—that cannot always be repaid. My acknowledgments, then, reflect my desire to credit all who invested in me, this project, and, in most instances, both. My graduate education afforded me the skill set to write Exodus Poli- tics, so I would like to acknowledge and thank my dissertation adviser Michael Awkward and committee members Rudolph Byrd and Dianne (Stewart) Diakité for their influences on my career. Not only did they help me conceptualize my project and force me to express my ideas pre- cisely, they provided models of productivity and rigor that are worthy of emulation. Dr. Rudolph Byrd passed in 2011, but his commitment to scholarship, teaching, community activism, and institution build- ing has left an enduring legacy. Mark A. Sanders, Regine O. Jackson, and Nagueyalti Warren gave me helpful insights and encouragement throughout my graduate education. I would also like to thank Kharen x / acknowledgments Fulton and Theresa Cox-Kenney of the Laney Graduate School of Arts and Sciences for admitting me into the Graduate School (Kharen), for ensuring that my money was right (Theresa), and, most important, for always encouraging me and being invested in my success. My colleagues at Florida State University played important roles in shaping this book. Elizabeth Spiller, Timothy Parrish, Maxine Mont- gomery, Jerrilyn McGregory, and Anne Coldiron not only provided excellent mentorship but also read my work and gave me useful feedback. More specifically, I thank Elizabeth, Timothy, and Maxine for reading this manuscript at different stages, and Jerrilyn for helping me develop the initial proposal that elicited an enthusiastic response from the Uni- versity of Virginia Press. After my departure, Elizabeth and Maxine con- tinued to be collegial and generous, providing insightful readings of my manuscript. Additionally, both the Council for Research and Creative Activity’s First-Year Assistant Professor (FYAP) Summer Grant and the McKnight Junior Faculty Fellowship from the Florida Education Foun- dation (FEF) helped me advance this project. I appreciate each institu- tion for committing financially to scholarly research. My colleagues at Georgetown University entered this project at a critical stage, and I appreciate their advice, foresight, and assistance. More specifically, Angelyn Mitchell, as one of my faculty mentors, read drafts of the manuscript and gave me useful feedback for its revision. Angie always exhibits generosity, collegiality, and thoughtfulness in our scholarly conversations. Moreover, as the founding director of the African American Studies Program, she has played an instrumental role in building and institutionalizing African American studies at George- town. In this capacity, she also has provided many opportunities for me to engage in the interdisciplinary work that was crucial for writing this book. Another colleague, Noel Sugimura, has shown exceptional cama- raderie in her willingness to read and respond to different drafts of the manuscript. I also extend gratitude to my colleagues Jennifer Natalya Fink, Brian Hochman, Gay Cima, Patricia O’Connor, Pam Fox, and Henry Schwarz for their publication advice and general support dur- ing my tenure at Georgetown. A Junior Faculty Research Fellowship from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and two summer grants from Dean Chester Gillis in the Georgetown College provided research opportunities that pushed this project to its final stages. Finally, my research assistants Regina Hamilton, Esther Owolabi, Khadijah Davis, and Meghan O’Hara gave me invaluable help as I completed Exodus Politics.
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