South Carolina at the Brink
Robert McNair and the Politics of Civil Rights
Columbia : University of South Carolina Press, [2006]
Format: Book
Description: xix, 360 pages, 18 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
As the Democratic governor of South Carolina during the height of the civil rights movement, Robert E. McNair faced the task of leading the state through the dismantling of its pervasive Jim Crow culture. Despite the obstacles, McNair was able to navigate a moderate course away from a past dominated by an old-guard oligarchy toward a more pragmatic, inclusive, and prosperous era. South Carolina at the Brink is the first biography of this remarkable statesman, as well as a history of the tumultuous times in which he governed. In telling McNair's story, Philip G. Grose recounts historic moments of epic turbulence, chronicles the development of the man himself, and maps the course of action that defined his leadership. A native of Berkeley County's Hell Hole Swamp, McNair was a decorated naval commander in the Philippines during World War II, then a small-town attorney, a state legislator, and lieutenant governor, before serving in the state's highest office from 1965-1971. Each role taught him the value of tolerance and perseverance and informed the choices he made at the helm of state government. violence and conflict that marked the onset of desegregation and of protest against the war in Vietnam: the tragic shootings in Orangeburg in February 1968, the 113-day strike at the Medical College in Charleston in 1969, violence at high schools in Columbia and Lamar in 1970, and antiwar protests on the University of South Carolina campus in 1970. These events remain the most vivid memories of the period, but McNair's lasting legacy is his remarkable ability to affect peaceful solutions and, ultimately, compliance with federal court rulings. Grose contends that it was McNair's decisive actions and reactions to crises that steered South Carolina clear of the larger tragedies of neighbouring states during this period and allowed the governor to achieve much improvement to the condition of the state's education system and economy. Grose's narrative draws from an extensive oral history project on the McNair administration conducted by the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, as well as recent interviews with key participants.
Contents:
The old order changeth -- Growing up in hell hole swamp -- Coming of age : war, education, and election -- Learning the ropes in a rural state -- A circuitous route to the governor's office -- Preparing for the showdown -- A full term and a mandate for moderation -- A blueprint for South Carolina -- The gathering storm at South Carolina State -- A tragedy at Orangeburg -- The rise of soul power -- South Carolina runs out of time, courts.
Subjects:
McNair, Robert E. (Robert Evander), 1923-2007.
Governors -- South Carolina -- Biography.
African Americans -- Civil rights -- South Carolina -- History -- 20th century.
Civil rights movements -- South Carolina -- History -- 20th century.
South Carolina -- Race relations -- History -- 20th century.
South Carolina -- Politics and government -- 1951-
McNair, Robert E. (Robert Evander), 1923-2007.
Governors -- South Carolina -- Biography.
African Americans -- Civil rights -- South Carolina -- History -- 20th century.
Civil rights movements -- South Carolina -- History -- 20th century.
South Carolina -- Race relations -- History -- 20th century.
South Carolina -- Politics and government -- 1951-
ISBN:
1570036241 (cloth : alk. paper)
Availability | |||
---|---|---|---|
Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
LH HISTORY Civil Rights Gro | Main (Downtown) | Local History Nonfiction | Available for in-library use |
HISTORY North Am. US SC Gro | Cooper (Forest Acres) | Nonfiction | In |
Includes bibliographical references (pages [345]-347) and index.