Days of Hope

The narrative explores a coalition of black and white activists in the 1930s and 1940s who challenged conservative Southern politics through grassroots efforts to expand democracy. Patricia Sullivan utilizes oral interviews and documentary sources to illustrate how this movement, inspired by the New Deal, aimed to abolish the poll tax and increase voter registration. Despite initial successes, the coalition ultimately disbanded due to Cold War anti-Communism and segregationist backlash, highlighting the complexities of the racial democracy struggle in America.