White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism(Politics and Society in Modern America)

About the Book

During the civil rights era, Atlanta thought of itself as "The City Too Busy to Hate," a rare place in the South where the races lived and thrived together. Over the course of the 1960s and 1970s, however, so many whites fled the city for the suburbs that Atlanta earned a new nickname: "The City Too Busy Moving to Hate." In this reappraisal of racial politics in modern America, Kevin Kruse explains the causes and consequences of "white flight" in Atlanta and elsewhere. Seeking to understand segregationists on their own terms, White Flight moves past simple stereotypes to explore the meaning of white resistance. In the end, Kruse finds that segregationist resistance, which failed to stop the civil rights movement, nevertheless managed to preserve the world of segregation and even perfect it in subtler and stronger forms. Challenging the conventional wisdom that white flight meant nothing more than a literal movement of whites to the suburbs, this book argues that it represented a more important transformation in the political ideology of those involved.In a provocative revision of postwar American history, Kruse demonstrates that traditional elements of modern conservatism, such as hostility to the federal government and faith in free enterprise, underwent important transformations during the postwar struggle over segregation. Likewise, white resistance gave birth to several new conservative causes, like the tax revolt, tuition vouchers, and privatization of public services. Tracing the journey of southern conservatives from white supremacy to white suburbia, Kruse locates the origins of modern American politics.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 3 CHAPTER ONE: "The City oo Busy to Hate": Atlanta and the Politics of Progress 19 CHAPTER TWO: From Radicalism to "Respectability": Race, Residence, and Segregationist Strategy 42 C HAPTER THREE: From Community to Individuality: Race, Residence, and Segregationist Ideology 78 CHAPTER FOUR: The Abandonment of Public Space: Desegregation, Privatization, and the ax Revolt 105 CHAPTER FIVE: The "Second Battle of Atlanta": Massive Resistance and the Divided Middle Class 131 CHAPTER SIX: The Fight for "Freedom of Association": School Desegregation and White Withdrawal 161 CHAPTER SEVEN: Collapse of the Coalition: Sit-Ins and the Business Rebellion 180 CHAPTER EIGHT: "The Law of the Land": Federal Intervention and the Civil Rights Act 205 CHAPTER NINE: City Limits: Urban Separatism and Suburban Secession 234 EPILOGUE: The Legacies of White Flight 259 List of Abbreviations 267 Notes 269 Index 313

About the Author :
Kevin M. Kruse is associate professor of history at Princeton University.

Review :
In White Flight, a study of white resistance to desegregation in Atlanta, Kruse produces a panoramic and engaging portrayal of the struggle over desegregation. -- Ronald Brownstein American Prospect An ambitious, well-researched, and interesting study, White Flight offers a provocative examination of the connections between race and conservative politics. -- Jeff Roche Journal of American History Kruse presents a nuanced portrayal of the trends that fostered the growth of the suburbs and the casting aside of racist demagoguery. -- Jonathan Tilove Times-Picayune White Flight provides a detailed yet fascinating history of right-wing backlash against the civil rights movement that has relevance not only for historians but also for political scientists. Kevin Kruse's study deserves a wide reading. -- R. Claire Snyder New Political Science In his book, Kevin Kruse analyzes the ideology accompanying white flight and its ongoing impact on American politics... In a beautifully written, clearly structured, and deeply researched narrative, Kruse lays out the historical processes that led to the development of modern conservatism. -- Kristen O'Hare Urban History Review Kruse's ultimate success lies in using history to answer contemporary political questions, and without compromising his professional standards. -- Clay Risen Nashville Scene In Kruse's skillful hands, Atlanta's struggle over integration takes on many of the characteristics of low-level urban warfare... Kruse illuminates a key phase in American political development. -- Kimberley S. Johnson Perspectives on Politics Kruse provides a useful resource in the debate over the significance of race in politics. His book is thoroughly researched and well written. Students interested in modern politics and Civil Rights histories alike would greatly benefit from this work. -- Jensen E. Branscombe Southern Historian