- Collection:
- Atlanta University and Clark Atlanta University Theses and Dissertations
- Title:
- Campaign for freedom: the civil rights mvoement in Mobile, Alabama, 1942-1963
- Creator:
- Broughton, Timothy M.
- Date of Original:
- 2003-05-01
- Subject:
- Degrees, Academic
Dissertations, Academic - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, 33.749, -84.38798
- Medium:
- theses
dissertations - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- application/pdf
- Description:
- This dissertation examines Mobile�s modem civil rights movement between 1942 and 1963, by exploring the African-American community�s stmggle for social equality through the NAACP and grassroots organizations, including the Negro Veterans and Voter�s League (NVVL), and Non-Voters Partisan League (NVPL). In addition, this study documents the impact of the unique success of the Mobile African-American civil rights movement on regional and national movements. This study was based on the premise that during the height of the protest for social equality, African Americans in Mobile accomplished more in the struggle for civil rights than other major cities in Alabama. Also, although the Mobile community suffered turmoil during its civil rights movement, it never reached the scale of that of many southern cities. The research found that Mobile blacks were prominent in politics, abolishing the Alabama Democratic primary that had disenfranchised blacks since the Boswell Amendment of the early 1900s. They also made noteworthy strides in economics and education. Blacks in Mobile were also the first to desegregate private and public education in the state of Alabama. Scholars have tended to approach the civil rights movement from a national perspective, often ignoring the experiences of the people whose lives were touched by the struggle for equality on a daily basis. Therefore, the Mobile study relied not only upon the traditional sources: newspapers and journals, manuscript collections, and government documents. Personal interviews, letters, and telegrams written by local individuals and organizations were used to delve into the lives of the activists. The conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that the African-American community in Mobile led one of the most successful civil rights movements in the South and became one of the most identifiable instruments for social liberation in Alabama. A tenacious leadership, a growing political maturity, and the ability to negotiate with city leaders positioned the black community in Mobile to take a powerful stance against the forces of social inequality.
Date of award: 5/1/2003
Degree type: dissertation
Degree name: Doctor of Arts (DA)
Granting institution: Clark Atlanta University
Department: Department of History
Advisor: Crawford, Vicki L. - Metadata URL:
- http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12322/cau.td:2003_broughton_timothy_m
- Holding Institution:
- Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library
- Rights:
-
