Title Race, riots, and roller coasters : the struggle over segregated recreation in America / Victoria W. Wolcott

Published Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, ©2012

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Description 1 online resource (310 pages) : illustrations Series Politics and culture in modern America Politics and culture in modern America. Contents A tarnished Golden Age: race and recreation before World War II -- The fifth freedom: racial liberalism, nonviolence, and recreation riots in the 1940s -- "A northern city with a southern exposure": challenging recreational segregation in the 1950s -- Violence in the city of good neighbors: delinquency and consumer rights in the postwar city -- Building a national movement: students confront recreational segregation -- "Riotland": race and the decline of urban amusements Summary "Throughout the twentieth century, African Americans challenged segregation at amusement parks, swimming pools, and skating rinks not only in pursuit of pleasure but as part of a wider struggle for racial equality. Well before the Montgomery bus boycott, mothers led their children into segregated amusement parks, teenagers congregated at forbidden swimming pools, and church groups picnicked at white-only parks. But too often white mobs attacked those who dared to transgress racial norms. In Race, Riots, and Roller Coasters, Victoria W. Wolcott tells the story of this battle for access to leisure space in cities all over the United States. Contradicting the nostalgic image of urban leisure venues as democratic spaces, Wolcott reveals that racial segregation was crucial to their appeal. Parks, pools, and playgrounds offered city dwellers room to exercise, relax, and escape urban cares. These gathering spots also gave young people the opportunity to mingle, flirt, and dance. As cities grew more diverse, these social forms of fun prompted white insistence on racially exclusive recreation. Wolcott shows how black activists and ordinary people fought such infringements on their right to access public leisure. In the face of violence and intimidation, they swam at white-only beaches, boycotted discriminatory roller rinks, and picketed Jim Crow amusement parks. When African Americans demanded inclusive public recreational facilities, white consumers abandoned those places. Many parks closed or privatized within a decade of desegregation. Wolcott's book tracks the decline of the urban amusement park and the simultaneous rise of the suburban theme park, reframing these shifts within the civil rights context. Filled with detailed accounts and powerful insights, Race, Riots, and Roller Coasters brings to light overlooked aspects of conflicts over public accommodations. This eloquent history demonstrates the significance of leisure in American race relations."--Jacket Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index Notes In English Print version record Subject African Americans -- Recreation -- United States -- History -- 20th century African Americans -- Segregation -- United States -- History -- 20th century Recreation -- Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century African Americans -- Civil rights -- United States -- History -- 20th century African Americans -- Segregation -- History -- 20th century Leisure -- Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century HISTORY -- United States -- 20th Century. African Americans -- Civil rights African Americans -- Recreation African Americans -- Segregation Race relations Recreation -- Social aspects SUBJECT United States -- Race relations -- History -- 20th century Subject United States Genre/Form History Form Electronic book LC no. 2012002588 ISBN 9780812244342 0812244346 9781283898447 1283898446 9780812207590 0812207599

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