The Great Uprising
Race Riots in Urban America during the 1960s

Offers a rich description of the impact of the 1960s race riots in the United States whose legacy still haunts the nation.

Peter B. Levy (Author)

9781108422406, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 January 2018

344 pages, 20 b/w illus.
23.6 x 15.7 x 2.5 cm, 0.59 kg

'Peter Levy's book adds insights.' James McClure, York Daily Record (www.ydr.com)

Between 1963 and 1972 America experienced over 750 urban revolts. Considered collectively, they comprise what Peter Levy terms a 'Great Uprising'. Levy examines these uprisings over the arc of the entire decade, in various cities across America. He challenges both conservative and liberal interpretations, emphasizing that these riots must be placed within historical context to be properly understood. By focusing on three specific cities as case studies - Cambridge and Baltimore, Maryland, and York, Pennsylvania - Levy demonstrates the impact which these uprisings had on millions of ordinary Americans. He shows how conservatives profited politically by constructing a misleading narrative of their causes, and also suggests that the riots did not represent a sharp break or rupture from the civil rights movement. Finally, Levy presents a cautionary tale by challenging us to consider if the conditions that produced this 'Great Uprising' are still predominant in American culture today.

List of tables and figures
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part I. Cambridge, Maryland: 1. The making of the 'Negro revolt'
2. The Fire This Time
3. Falsely accused
Part II. Baltimore, Maryland: 4. The dream deferred
5. The Holy Week Uprising of 1968
6. One nation, two responses
Part III. York, Pennsylvania: 7. The promised land
8. Fighting back
9. An uneasy peace
Conclusion
Index.

Subject Areas: Black & Asian studies [JFSL3], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], History of the Americas [HBJK]