Reconstituting Whiteness

Jenny Irons

Description

In Reconstituting Whiteness, sociologist Jenny Irons explores the tactics and legacy of the Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, an agency of the state that existed from 1956 to 1977 and was devoted exclusively to defending and supporting the institution of segregation. Using a myriad of surveillance and public relations efforts, the commission was unique in its expanse and resistance during a time of change.
Going far beyond a mere institutional history, however, Irons uses the commission as a tool to explore the intersection of state-organized defense of white supremacy and the dramatically shifting racial constructs of the civil rights era. Ultimately, the commission failed to protect segregation, but as a state entity, it adapted racism in new terms.
Reconstituting Whiteness is an insightful study of the methods Mississippi state government used to move the goal posts of what was considered "decent" and "acceptable" white supremacy and racism, as it raced against time to define whiteness while the boundaries of segregation fell all around it.

Sujets

• Political Science
• Civil Rights
• Sociology
• History of the United States
• Civil and political rights
• History

Informations

• Publié par: Vanderbilt University Press
• Date de parution: 14 mai 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780826516879
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Reconstituting Whiteness T h e M i s s i s s i p p i S t a t e S o v e r e i g n t y C o m m i s s i o n

Jenny Irons

Reconstituting Witeness

Reconstituting Witeness he Mississippi STaTe SovereignTy Commission

Jenny Irons

Vanderbilt University Press Nasville

©  by Vanderbilt University Press Nasville, Tennessee  All rigts reserved First Edition 

his book is printed on acid-free paper.

Manufactured in te United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Irons, Jenny, – Reconstituting witeness : te Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission / Jenny Irons. p. cm. Includes bibliograpical references and index.  ---- (clot : acid-free paper) . Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission—History. . Wite supremacy movements—Mississippi—History—t century. . Mississippi—Race relations—History—t century. . Mississippi—Politics and government—– . States’ rigts (American politics)—History—t century. I. Title. .  .’—dc 

For my parenTs, Barry and Bety Irons, and for George

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Contents

Acknowledgments  ix

Preface  xiii

“Noting to Hide”: Witeness and te Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission 1

Part I. he Defense of Segregation

he Relational Context of Wite Resistance 35

“he True Facts about Segregation”: Denial and te Public Relations Campaign 63

Monitoring te Racial Situation: he Identity Work of Social Control 90

Part II. Resistant Accommodation

Reorganized Relations, Entrenced Hard-Liners 119

Minimizing te Racial Situation: Public Relations and Resistant Accommodation 138

“Determined to Perpetuate Itself ”: Continuity in Investigations despite Cange 158

Conclusion: Legitimacy, Witeness, and Racism 193

Notes  203

Bibliograpy  237

Index  245

Acknowledgments

his book has been in te works for far too long. It bears little T resemblance to my initial attempt to make sense of te Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission (MSSC), and I ope in tat regard te in- tervening years of tinking, reading, and writing ave greatly improved tat first stab. I was initially drawn to study te organization just after te files were opened in . At te time, I was particularly interested in tinking about te process of racial state formation, and my subsequent focus on wite state actors reflects my concern wit te question of wy racial inequality persists despite cange.  My initial interest in te civil rigts movement was sparked wen I was a student at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and I ave Andy Andrews to tank for tat. He remains my academic role model. Andy, George Bey, Ming Tsui, and Frances Coker were amazing professors. heir passion for teacing and teir entusiasm for social scientific researc led me to pursue a PD in sociology and ten to searc ard for a job at a place just like Millsaps.  At te University of Arizona, I was fortunate to connect wit faculty and peers wo were supportive of researc tat was in some ways a little bit outside of disciplinary boundaries. I feel lucky to ave entered gradu- ate scool wit a coort of people wo made te experience fun and wo were generous wit feedback and encouragement. Carmen García- Beaulieuelpedmesurvivemyfirsttwoyears,andDinaOkamotogotme troug te last few. Jenn Earl was and still is one of my most supportive friends and colleagues, and I am fortunate to ave begun my career wit er. Outside of te sociology department, Scott Hendricks was a great friend and intellectual inspiration. Among te faculty, Sara Soule, Doug

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