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Chapter 2: Organizing for Neighborhood Improvement

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Chapter 2: Organizing for Neighborhood Improvement BACKYARD BATTLES: LOCAL STRUGGLES FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN POLITICAL ADVANCEMENT IN BALTIMORE, 1920–1944 by Angelique D. Jessup A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Political Science) in the University of Michigan 2010 Doctoral Committee: Professor Nancy E. Burns, Co-Chair Associate Professor Robert W. Mickey, Co-Chair Associate Professor Matthew D. Lassiter Professor Rogers Smith, University of Pennsylvania © Angelique D. Jessup 2010 To Steven, for everything spoken and unspoken. ii Acknowledgments This dissertation process has been nothing short of an interesting journey, full of peaks and valleys, and more learning experiences than I can reasonably count. The doctoral experience has transformed my life in ways that stretch beyond books and the classroom. I am immensely grateful for having the privilege to go through this process (struggles and all) and for the excellent training I have received at the University of Michigan. I am deeply humbled by those that have supported me from the very beginning and through the final stages of my doctoral studies. I would like to thank Steven, my husband and best friend. Thank you for listening to my dreams, nurturing them, and teaching me that all things are possible. Thank you for putting things in perspective when everything was fuzzy and scary. You have been with me from the beginning, when graduate school was just a thought and finding the perfect prom dress was my biggest priority. Words cannot describe my gratitude for your unconditional love and never faltering support of my ambitions. I am excited for wherever our next steps take us and cannot imagine having a more perfect partner to journey through life. This dissertation is seeded in the many stories and debates of struggle and triumph discussed around dinner tables in Port-au-Prince and Miami on Haitian politics and black nationalism from the blood that runs through my Haitian lineage. At the same time, I owe so much to my black American ancestry and the stories of Alabama and South Carolina during Jim Crow and firsthand recollections of the March on Washington, segregated Baltimore, and the riots of the 1960s. Family history cannot be ignored. To my parents, Guy and Karen Douyon, I could not have made it this far without your continued support and belief in my ability to accomplish this. You answered all my “why, Mom and Dad” questions from the time I could talk, and always made me feel like this process was the next intuitive step. Thank you for calling at the right moments and encouraging me through the most difficult times. Many of these pages are marked with your motivation. To my sister, Maisha Douyon Cover, you made me laugh when I needed to laugh. You distracted me with good conversation with perfect timing. I cherish our impenetrable friendship and thank you for always cheering me on with vigor; you are nothing short of an amazing sister. I would also like to thank Chad Cover and Zora Lily Douyon Cover. Chad, you’ve helped me more than I think you realize. Thank you for brainstorming with me, reminding me that my project matters, and intriguing me with the historian’s perspective. Zora, you have brought a gigantic ray of light into this dissertation. Toward the end of this process, your voice and our time together has iii reminded me that above all else, love and family always prevails. Many thanks also go to Steven and Geneva Jessup for your constant prayers and confidence in me. You made my numerous research trips to Baltimore and Washington, DC, comforting in a way only family can. You always saw the light at the end of this journey and reminded me to have big faith. To my dissertation committee: Dr. Nancy Burns, Dr. Robert Mickey, Dr. Matthew Lassiter, and Dr. Rogers Smith—thank you for believing that this story needed to be told and guiding me. Nancy Burns advised me from my very first day of graduate school. Nancy, thank you for demystifying statistics, taking me on as a research assistant, and reminding me that this project is feasible and a piece of a larger conversation. Rob, I would like to thank you for introducing me to the field of American Political Development and pushing the boundaries of this project. I am grateful for your guidance and honing of my curiosity. Matt, thank you for introducing me to new scholarship and supporting my intellectual interests. Thank you also for your candid advice. Rogers Smith provided support at a crucial point in this process. Thank you for helping me see this project through completion and giving invaluable comments. This project and my graduate studies could not be possible without generous financial support from a University of Michigan Rackham Merit Fellowship, departmental travel and research grants, and support in the final stages with a Gerald R. Ford fellowship. Many thanks go to Lili Kivisto for taking my calls and explaining prelims, candidacy, and the dissertation process thoroughly. Thanks also go to Michelle Spornhauer and Edie Goldenberg for your help during my time in residence at Michigan. Finally, my graduate studies were tremendously eased with financial support from a Ford Foundation Pre- Doctoral Fellowship. So many friends and family members have taken my phone calls, prayed for me, and cheered me on every step of the way. My thanks do not measure your support over these years. I’ve been blessed to have a strong core of friends that I can always count on. I would like to thank Nerissa Holder Hall for being a wonderfully loyal and supportive friend. Thank you for each and every phone call and reminding me to celebrate the little victories. Thanks go to Stephanie Kull for praying for and with me, and for being one of my heroes. I would like to thank Carmen Leary Holloway for more than 15 years of friendship and for always believing in me. To my TCNJ friends and family: Charlena Barnes, Cerrone Foster, Jamal Johnson, Shanelle Perez, Nicole Vitulli McNelis, Dr. Christopher Fisher, the late Dr. Gloria Harper Dickinson, Jim and Pat Boatwright, and Wayne Jackson—thank you providing inspiration for this project and encouraging me through this process. I built a strong and supportive network at the University of Michigan and would like to thank those that helped me get through this process. Grace Cho has been a great friend; her pep talks and inspiration encouraged me along the way. Thanks go to Chera Reid for her friendship and being a sounding board. Danie Stockmann always saw the glass half full, and I thank her for that. I could not imagine my graduate school years without the friendship of: Kim iv Dorazio, Gena Flynn, Andrea Benjamin, Kenyatha Loftis, Melissa Wooten, Kamille Gentles, Ruth Nicole Brown, Melynda Price, Tehama Lopez, and Vesla Weaver. To my friends and family in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Boise, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Canada, for your encouragement and help: Erlene B. Wilson (for believing in my writing) and Charlie Wilson (thanks, bro); Madeleine and the late Guy Douyon, Sr.; Esther Berry; Jennifer “Jai” Harrison; Rudy and Regina Dillard; The Pressoirs; Yanick Douyon; Guileine, Brik, and Philip Kraft; Pierre, Ariel, Vanessa, and Pierre-Guy Douyon; Genevieve Douyon Flambert and family; Alix, Stefane, GuiAlix, and Aliane Douyon; Reginald, Sandra, Naike, and Tais Cohen; the Montreal Douyons; Chaz and Lia Howard; Brandon and Carol Croxton; Micah Mitchell Hines and Daron Hines; Michael Bowen Mitchell and family; Tyrone and Maisha Crosby; Josef Sorret; Terence and Kimberly Whitehead; Josh and Kari Kohn; DeLanie Valentine, Lorelei Walters; Ryan Bowers; Keri Faulhaber; Yaminah McKessey; Dirk Hall; the Holder family; Derrick Jessup and family; Joanne Ransome and family; Russell and Tameka Hardy; Monica Bevans; Jonathan and Dedra Harris; the Montgomery family; and the Jessup Family. Thanks and reverence go to those who came before me that were never afforded the opportunities with which I have been blessed. Last, all thanks go to Jesus, my strength and my salvation. Above all, my graduate school experience has been one of developing and enduring faith. Philippians 4:13. Luke 17:6. Angelique Jessup January 2010 Queens, New York City v Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. iii List of Figures ................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1 2. What the Literature Tells Us ....................................................................................... 5 3. The Argument ........................................................................................................... 22 4. Case Selection and Research Design ........................................................................ 24
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