American Politics and the African American Quest for Universal Freedom

This dynamic and comprehensive text from nationally renowned scholars continues to demonstrate the profound influence African Americans have had-and continue to have-on American politics. Using two interrelated themes-the idea of universal freedom and the concept of minority-majority coalitions-the text demonstrates how the presence of Africans in the United States affected the founding of the Republic and its political institutions and processes. The authors show that through the quest for their own freedom in the United States, African Americans have universalized and expanded the freedoms of all Americans. New to the Ninth Edition * Updates sections on intersectionality dealing with issues of race and gender. * Updates section on African American music to include role of Hip Hop. * Updates sections on mass media coverage of African Americans and African American Celebrity impact on politics and adds new mention on the CROWN Act and politics of Black hair. * Updates section on "Black Lives Matter" movement and adds a new section on the "MeToo" movement. * Updates sections on African Americans in Congress and adds a new mention on the Squad. * Updates voting behaviour through the 2020 elections, connecting the Obama years with the new administration. * Provides a comparison of the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. * Discusses the way in which race contributes to the polarization of American politics in the 2020 presidential campaign. * Provides an analysis of the racial attitudes of President Trump, and the institutionally racist policies of his administrations. * Updated chapter on state and local politics, including new section on state executive offices and Black mayors. * Updates sections on material well-being indicators and adds a new section on the coronavirus pandemic and the Black community. * Provides the first overall assessment of the Obama administration in relation to domestic and foreign policy and racial politics.