Sharecropping, Ghetto, Slum

About the Book

These insightful words stated during the 1930s by Reverend Richard Robert Wright Jr. spoke to a twentieth-century reality that white Americans held toward the nation’s black citizenry. African Americans of higher station resented being judged by the less-successful members of the race. After the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, class distinctions between African Americans became increasingly significant. With the legal demise of racial discrimination, scores of ambitious blacks who embraced middle-class values took advantage of newly created opportunities to enter mainstream America. Ambitious African Americans who coveted a higher standard of living displayed a quest for higher education, presented evidence of a strong work ethic, and endorsed the concept of deferred gratification.

About the Author

Dr. H. Viscount Nelson is a retired professor of Afro-American Studies and former director of student activities at UCLA. Born and raised in Oxford, Pennsylvania, Nelson matriculated to West Chester University, graduated with a BS, and then obtained an MA and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. After teaching stints at Oxford and Abington High Schools in Pennsylvania, Nelson also taught at Dartmouth College. In addition to several articles, Nelson’s previous publications include The Rise and Fall of Modern Black Leadership: Chronicle of a Twentieth Century Tragedy (2003) and Black Leadership’s Response to the Great Depression in Philadelphia (2006). Nelson has two sons, Christopher and Berk; a granddaughter, Harper Joan Nelson; a late wife, Joan K. Nelson; a partner for life, Dr. Marcia Mills; and an energetic mother, Leanna Nelson Johnson, who is currently 102.