Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 [Hardcover]

Mark Bauerlein (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1893554236 | ISBN-13: 978-1893554238 | Publication Date: June 1, 2001 | Edition: 1st

At the beginning of the twentieth century, Atlanta was regarded as the gateway to the new, enlightened and racially progressive South. White business owners employed black workers and made their fortunes, while black leaders led congregations, edited periodicals, and taught classes. But in 1906, in a bitter gubernatorial contest, Georgia politicians played the race card and white supremacists trumpeted a "Negro crime" scare. Seizing on rumors of black predation against white women, they launched a campaign based on fears of miscegenation and white subservience. Atlanta slipped into a climate of racial phobia and sexual hysteria that culminated in a bloody riot, which stymied race relations for fifty years. Drawing on new archival materials, Mark Bauerlein traces the origins, development and brutal climax of Atlanta's descent into hatred and violence in the fateful summer of 1906. "Negrophobia" is history at its best--a dramatic moment in time impeccably recreated in a suspenseful narrative, focusing on figures such as Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. DuBois; author Margaret Mitchell and future NAACP leader Walter White; and an assortment of black victims and white politicians who witnessed and participated in this American tragedy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...Mark Bauerlein has fashioned a riveting account of the Atlanta riots of 1906 that...demonstrates the abiding power of narrative history." -- Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Eugene D. Genovese

About the Author

Mark Bauerlein

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Encounter Books; 1st edition (June 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893554236
• ISBN-13: 978-1893554238
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,242 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Bauerlein is a professor of English at Emory University and has worked as a director of Research and Analysis at the National Endowment for the Arts, where he oversaw studies about culture and American life, including the much discussed Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America. His writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, The Weekly Standard, Reason magazine, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among many other publications and scholarly periodicals. A frequent lecturer, he has been called one of the Independent Women's Forum's "favorite intellectuals," and has been praised by columnist George Will as "dazzling."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable addition to history of Jim Crow Era., January 15, 2002

By 

Richard E. Hourula (Berkeley, CA. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 (Hardcover)

Having found very little about the Atlanta Race Riot of 1906, imagine my delight at coming across "Negrophobia." There's so little about this event that anything would have been fine, but Bauerlein's study is exhaustive and a damn good read.

The author made the wise choice of spending considerable time setting the scene, looking at the entire cast of characters and 1906 Atlanta. He thereby sets the stage and makes the story of this horrendous riot that much more compelling.

I was also impressed by Bauerlein's straight forward account. He does not editorialize, instead letting the facts speak for themselves.

Atlanta was a relatively progressive city in the Jim Crow South, yet was far from immune to virulent and violent racism. Indeed the state of hysteria white women were whipped into in the South was probably as bad in Atlanta as anwyhere. The demonizing of African-Americans concurrent with the paranoia they engendered is at the heart of the riots.

Baurelein's books fills a huge void and is great reading.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Astoundingly good!, June 8, 2006

By 

Todd Bartholomew (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 (Paperback)

Scrupulously researched and well written "Negrophobia" is a gripping recount of the events prior to, during, and after Atlanta's 1906 Race Riot; a long neglected chapter of Atlanta's history. Bauerlein does an outstanding job of putting that era in context, especially the events in Georgia and Atlanta that led to, and created the environment for the riot. The race-baiting gubernatorial election of 1906, the rampant yellow journalism hyping black-on-white violence, and Thomas Dixon's "The Klansman" all play a part in creating the toxic brew. Bauerlein thankfully includes a Dramatis Personae at the front of the book so readers can keep central historical figures easily identifiable. The action is broken into four logically titled components: Prelude, Riot, Aftermath, and Epilogue. This simple elegant construction serves the native well, recreating the Atlanta of 1906, setting the riot in motion, and speaking of its aftermath. Bauerlein wisely lets the principals speak in their own words and betrays no bias towards or against anyone or anything, remaining a neutral voice leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions. Buerlein is unsparing in his recounting the events of the riot in a way that can send chills down your spine and this book isn't for faint-hearts, yet is not needlessly gory. The book fairly crackles with energy and drama but those easily offended by racism would best avoid it as Bauerlein doesn't shy away from exploring and explaining it. I immensely enjoyed this book and can't help but praise Bauerlein's writing and scrupulous research.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real page turner, July 23, 2001

By 

Bedivere Jones "bedivere12" (Doraville, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Negrophobia: A Race Riot in Atlanta, 1906 (Hardcover)

This is an objective historical account, but I couldn't help thinking as I read it: "What a great story!" It has all the makings of a really good potboiler - an unexpected treat for such serious subjects.

As for the matters of race, anyone who wants to read about how people really experienced race relations on the ground and in their daily lives should read this book.