The loneliness of the black Republican: pragmatic politics and the pursuit of power

406 Pages·2017·3.564 MB·English

by  Wright Rigueur, Leah

The Loneliness of the Black Republican
POLITICS AND SOCIETY IN TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICA
S E
ERIES DITORS
William Chafe, Gary Gerstle, Linda Gordon, and Julian Zelizer
The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power BY
LEAH WRIGHT RIGUEUR
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Education in the 20th Century BY CHRISTOPHER P. LOSS
Philanthropy in America: A History BY OLIVIER ZUNZ
The Loneliness of the Black Republican
PRAGMATIC POLITICS AND THE PURSUIT OF POWER
Leah Wright Rigueur
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS
Princeton and Oxford
Copyright © 2015 by Princeton University Press
Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street, Princeton, New Jersey 08540
In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, 6 Oxford Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TW
press.princeton.edu
Jacket art: Photograph of Jewel Lafontant taken during the 1960 Republican National Convention. Courtesy of the
Oberlin College Archives.
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wright Rigueur, Leah, 1981–
The loneliness of the Black Republican : pragmatic politics and the pursuit of power / Leah Wright Rigueur.
pages cm — (Politics and society in twentieth-century America)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-691-15901-0 (hardcover : acid-free paper)
1. African Americans—Politics and government—20th century. 2. African American politicians—History—
20th century. 3. African American political activists—History—20th century. 4. Republican Party (U.S. : 1854–
)—History—20th century. 5. Conservatism—United States—History—20th century. 6. Politics, Practical—
United States—History—20th century. 7. Power (Social sciences)—United States—History—20th century. 8.
United States—Politics and government—1933–1945. 9. United States—Politics and government—1945–1989. I.
Title.
E185.615.W85 2015
323.1196'0730904—dc23
2014013056
British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available
This book has been composed in Sabon
Printed on acid-free paper. ∞
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Austin Vladimir
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
A Brief Note on Sources xv
Abbreviations xvii

INTRODUCTION: The Paradox of the Black Republican 1
1. Running with Hares and Hunting with Hounds 13
2. A Thorn in the Flesh of the GOP 52
3. The Challenge of Change 95

Illustration section follows page 135
4. Richard Nixon’s Black Cabinet 136
5. Exorcising the Ghost of Richard Nixon 177
6. More Shadow than Substance 220
7. The Time of the Black Elephant 261
CONCLUSION: No Room at the Inn 302

Appendix 311
Notes 315
Index 383
Acknowledgments
FINDING THE PERFECT WAY TO SAY “THANK YOU” TO EVERYONE THAT helped me with this
project has been a difficult task because words cannot fully capture the extent of
my gratitude. Still, it’s important for me to articulate how thankful I am to be
surrounded by the vibrant intellectual and creative communities that ultimately
shaped this book, by guiding me through the process and encouraging me, every
single step of the way.
The bones of this project first emerged during my tenure as a graduate student
at Princeton University. To call my time there challenging would be an
understatement; the invigorating intellectual environment was crucial to my
development as a writer and scholar. I benefited tremendously from the
mentorship and wisdom of the faculty members in the History Department and at
the Center for African American Studies, particularly Margot Canaday, Joshua
Guild, Hendrik Hartog, Tera Hunter, Emmanuel Kreike, Nell Painter, Robert
Tignor, Christine Stansell, and Sean Wilentz. I want to extend a special thank you
to Daniel Rodgers, whose advice and moral support always provided clarity at
precisely the right moment throughout my graduate career. I continued to be awed
by Karen Jackson-Weaver; while at Princeton, she served as my mentor and
advocate and was truly an inspiration. And even now, though I am years removed
from the university, she continues to help me develop as a scholar and leader. The
members of my dissertation committee devoted a generous amount of time,
energy, and resources to my work (and still do!). Eddie Glaude offered shrewd
direction and continues to advocate on my behalf. From day one, Timothy Thurber
served as both a friend and scholarly adviser. His groundbreaking research
motivates me to push the boundaries of my own scholarship. I was extremely
fortunate to have an opportunity to work with Julian Zelizer before I left New
Jersey—his outlook on politics and history completely reshaped the way that I
thought about multiple scholarly fields. He consistently pushed me to develop
abstract ideas into rigorous and thoughtful arguments. He’s also quick to lend a
helping hand and provide candid advice (and he’s always right). Julian’s
intellectual determination and dedication to his craft are dazzling to watch and
have greatly influenced my own scholarly drive.
Trying to summarize what Kevin Kruse’s friendship and mentorship means to
me is an impossible charge. From my first day of graduate school, when he sent
me a cheerful “Welcome!” e-mail, Kevin has been steadfast in his support. He was
an exceptional dissertation adviser and advocate, reading multiple draft chapters
(including the truly terrible ones), pains-takingly combing through every line of
my dissertation, offering line-by-line feedback, and providing dozens of pages of
notes and comments. Part of Kevin’s brilliance is his gift for language and the
written word; he has the ability to help you turn a clunky underdeveloped concept
into a sophisticated and complex idea—and he does it all effortlessly. He was
involved with the production of this book, every step of the way—assessing
project proposals, fellowship applications, and chapters. He was, and still is, good
for a much-needed pep talk, which I appreciate for so many hard- to-articulate
reasons. I’m so grateful that I have such a magnificent mentor and friend who
refuses to let me doubt my work or myself.
Wesleyan University warmly welcomed me as I transitioned from graduate
student to professor. During my first year on campus, all of the faculty members in
the History Department and the Program in African American Studies went out of
their way to dole out sage wisdom about the inner workings of academia. It was
(and still is) excellent advice that helped me forge an ambitious path at the
university and beyond. To the entire faculty in History and African American
Studies, especially Lois Brown, Paul Erickson, Demetrius Eudell, Nat Greene,
Courtney Fullilove, Patricia Hill, Cecilia Miller, Vijay Pinch, Laurie Nussdorfer,
Ashraf Rushdy, Gary Shaw, Victoria Smolkin-Rothrock, and Ann Wightman—thank
you. I am also grateful for the wise counsel and friendship of Erness Brody, Alex
Dupuy, Renee Johnson Thornton, Rashida Shaw, Gina Ulysse, and Krishna
Winston. Ann duCille is the model of intellectual prowess; she is also one of the
kindest people I know. I am fortunate to call her my friend. I am indebted to Rick
Elphick, who read book proposal drafts, offered general feedback on the project,
and once spent more than six hours with me, on a hazy summer evening,
discussing the framework of the book. Likewise, Ronald Schatz and Magda Teter
both generously offered constructive suggestions on the manuscript on multiple
occasions, while the spring 2012 cohort at the Wesleyan Center for the Humanities
offered sharp insights into the third chapter of this manuscript. Joan Chiari, Lori
Flannigan, and Ann Tanasi are at the cusp of sainthood. They have endured
nonstop questions and requests from me with patience, grace, and, of course,
humor. My undergraduate research assistants, Spencer Hattendorf, Christian
Hosam, Hannah Korevaar, CaVar Reid, and Amber Smith did a tremendous
amount of work on my behalf, showcasing their scholarly thoughtfulness and
impressive work ethic.
Sarah Mahurin deserves an extra special thank you for bringing so much
fierceness and joy into the monotony of everyday academic life. I love that her
passion for all things pop culture is outweighed only by her untiring commitment
to social justice. Equal parts brilliant, caring, and fabulous (and so clearly my
work twin!). I also owe a debt of gratitude to Claire Potter who has been a
fantastic mentor and friend. Claire’s feedback was instrumental as I was revising