PULLING DOWN THE HOUSE AND TEARING UP THE YARD: CONSTRUCTING, POLICING, AND CONTAINING BLACK MASCULINITY, 1920-1960 Kimberly M. Stanley Submitted to the faculty of the University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of History and the Department of American Studies Indiana University July 2015 Accepted by the Graduate Faculty, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Doctoral Committee ____________________________________ Claude Clegg, Ph.D., Chairperson _______________________________________ Vivian Halloran, Ph.D., Co-Chairperson _______________________________________ Wendy Gamber, Ph.D. _______________________________________ Matthew Guterl, Ph.D. _______________________________________ Marissa Moorman, Ph. D. _______________________________________ Khalil Muhammad, Ph. D. November 10, 2014 ii Copyright @ 2015 Kimberly M. Stanley iii To All My Relations... iv Acknowledgements Today, as I write what I hope is my final version of my “Acknowledgments,” I am still in a phase of disbelief that this particular journey is now over. Graduate school and the process of writing a dissertation are experiences that I will not soon forget. I had days filled with anxiety, doubt, and loneliness. Yet, there were also countless days filled with renewed invigoration, determination, motivation, and beautiful conversations that inspired me to press on. There are so many individuals that mentored and guided me through this process by their words and deeds, and for that I am extremely grateful. First and foremost, I wish to thank my committee for their guidance and patience. Claude Clegg was not only an amazing committee chair, but also a supportive and encouraging advisor. My first year at Indiana University was quite difficult. Although I had arrived in Bloomington with a master’s degree in-hand, the thoughts of completing coursework, getting a Ph.D., and balancing my home and personal life with school were overwhelming. I wanted to quit. I would arrive at Professor Clegg’s office door teary-eyed and feeling defeated, telling him how I just did not think I was cut-out for this. He would listen, offer me Kleenex, assure me that I could finish, and suggest I come back in three weeks to revisit my decision. I would return three weeks later, teary-eyed and lacking confidence. He, again, would suggest that I come back three weeks later. This went on for some time and then the tone, topic, and purpose of our meetings changed. I still presented myself teary-eyed, and he was always handy with an endless supply of Kleenex, but we began to discuss my interest in black masculinity and this man named Dan Burley who I found while researching black cheesecake magazines. I knew early on that I v wanted to write about Burley and black masculinity, and Professor Clegg was encouraging, albeit a bit skeptical of my seemingly impetuous decision to pick a dissertation topic so early in my studies at IU. I recall him asking if I liked my project because I was going to have to live with it for a very long time. I assured him I did, and since then his support has been unwavering. He challenged me to think about the broader implications of my topic, to expand my focus from just a biography—my original plan, and, most importantly, to see myself as a historian. Vivian Nun Halloran kept me focused and insisted that I consider other frameworks and perspectives in my analysis of my sources, much to my dismay. Of course, she was right. She and her husband David helped me hash out ideas about this project long before I was in the writing phase. David Halloran offered suggestions, encouragement, and personal anecdotes when I felt that this project was too daunting. It was in Marissa Moorman’s class that I began to think about contextualizing masculinity. She provided resources and prodded me to think about the performance of masculinity within the diaspora and culture. Khalil Gibran Muhammad kept me on task by constantly asking, “Where is Burley?” Along with being a member of this committee, Khalil became a thoughtful friend. He and his wonderful wife, Stephanie, opened their hearts and home to me and mine on the holidays. I will always cherish those times. Matthew Guterl offered critical feedback and support. He modeled—daily—how to be successful in academia both professionally and personally. Lastly, I wish to thank Wendy Gamber. I truly benefitted from Indiana University changing their policy regarding dissertation committee members, which allowed me to ask Wendy to be on my committee! I met Wendy long before I set foot on IU’s campus and I value every encounter I have had with her. vi There are several professors at Indiana University who offered feedback on my dissertation, suggestions that aided me in thinking about my work, or just checked-in to see how I was doing. Nick Cullather graciously read chapters of my dissertations and provided typed feedback from his old-school typewriter! Jason McGraw, Arlene Diaz, and John Bodnar allowed me to bend their ear and suggested texts that could help me frame my argument. And, my heartfelt-thanks to Michelle Moyd, Leah Shopkow, Eric Sandweiss, Ben Eklof, Anne Carmichael, Mari Bucur, Konstantin Dierks, and Peter Guardino, Valerie Grim, Vernon Williams, John McCluskey, Audrey McCluskey, Portia Maultsby, and Purnima Bose for always offering kind words of encouragement. The project could not have come to fruition without the assistance of several individuals and institutions. This dissertation began as a seed of an idea in Joanne Meyerowitz’s Gender and Sexuality seminar class. Professor Meyerowitz found source material for my seminar paper when I found myself at dead-ends when researching Duke magazine and Dan Burley. And, because of Professor Meyerowitz’s tenacity, connections, and letting fellow scholars know that she had a student interested in researching Burley, I was subsequently linked to individuals who were interested in black periodicals, Burley, and the Chicago Renaissance. The Kinsey Institute was one of the many “homes” I occupied for several years, spending countless hours there perusing magazines, newspapers, and indexes in search of anything that mentioned Duke, Burley, black sexuality, or blacks in World War II. Shawn C. Wilson and his staff were always gracious and helpful, especially when I would arrive ten minutes before closing. Shawn was also one of the countless individuals who provided support by inviting me to “Martini Mondays,” which were great early-week stress relievers. While researching and writing at the Kinsey, I met vii Elizabeth (Liz) O’Gorek. It was refreshing to meet, talk, and work alongside someone who was also writing on masculinity. Our conversations and exchange of resources and ideas kept me motivated. This dissertation also benefited from the resources available in the Vivian G. Harsh Collection at the Chicago Public Library and the generosity of archivists Michael Flug and Beverly Cook. And, of course, I am extremely fortunate that Indiana University has such amazing libraries with invaluable resources. There is a special bond formed between individuals who come together to write or just commune in order to keep each other motivated and sane. Thank you to Writing Tutorial Services for establishing the dissertation writing group. The weekly meetings forced me to establish and set goals, a habit that definitely helped me finish, and Holly Schreiber was an exceptional group leader. Joanne Quimby, Adrianne Wadewitz, Sunitha Chitrapu, Jennifer Kaladow, Kate Schroeder, Fredera Hadley, Grant Simpson, Brooke Treadwell, Aaron Loehrlein, Nicki Gerlach, Sara Beth Tomsyck, Aysegul Oz, Jose Espericueta, Andrew Barrett, and Paul Toth gave me great advice on how to juggle life and graduate school. But, more importantly, they provided a safe space for healing and acceptance during those many times that I thought this journey was impossible to complete. Although we never had “formal” arrangements, walking into the library and seeing my fellow colleagues working on their dissertations or research provided comfort and camaraderie as we journeyed on our very unique but similar paths. To Michael Anklin, Jamie Warren, Mayumi Hoshino, Flory Gingging, Susan Eckelmann, Jose Najar, Aimee Dobbs, Nicole McGrath Warren, Sandrine Catris, Kathleen (Kathi) Fox, Chrystine Keener, Siobhan Carter-David, and Jennifer Stinson, I would like to extend a special thanks for being present in those familiar spaces. viii During my time at Indiana University, I was granted some amazing opportunities. I worked for the Journal of American History, and I taught for and was mentored by some great professors. Thank you to the JAH staff: Edward Linenthal, Stephen Andrews, Aidan Smith, Nic Champagne, Ben Ullrich, Melissa Beaver, Penny Dillon, Charles Fish, Nancy Croker, Karen Dunak, Jennifer Stinson, Tanisha Ford, Donna Drucker, Elizabeth Marsh, Angel Flores-Rodriquez, Deneise Self, Kevin Marsh, Susan Armeny, and Shannon Smith for making my time there a memorable and an educational experience. As an associate instructor in the Department of History and American Studies I learned a great deal about teaching from Konstantin Dierks, Jason McGraw, and especially Wendy Gamber and Nick Cullather. Many thanks to Charles Frederick, Arlene Diaz, John Nieto-Phillips, and Sylvia Martinez for giving me the opportunity to teach my own courses, and Myrna Garcia, Mintzi Martinez-Rivera, Julian Carrillo, Anna Luna, Joanna Moya, and Teresa Garcia, who were amazing folks to work alongside. I must acknowledge the administrative staff in History, American Studies, and Latino Studies, all of whom kept me on track and oriented in this crazy bureaucracy, and always had a kind word. Thank you to Becky Bryant, Jo Ellen Fitzgerald, Deana Hutchins, Sara Skinner, Astra Irmeja-Sefere, Blake Harvey, Paula Cotner, Micaela Richter, Nick Roberts, Nancy Ashley, and especially Alexia Bock. I can honestly say, without fear of hyperbole, that Alexia is truly one of my lifesavers (okay, maybe not a “lifesaver”) but she most definitely came to my rescue several times.