New Deal / New South: An Anthony J. Badger Reader

The essays delve into the complexities of white liberal southern politicians during the transformative era of the 1950s and 1960s, exploring their responses to the race issue amid political pressures. Badger critically examines the misplaced hopes of influential figures like Franklin Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, revealing how these moderates struggled to navigate the challenges posed by their communities' resistance to integration. His analysis highlights the paralysis of southern liberals, who often failed to provide a viable alternative to the prevailing conservative stance on racial matters.