Great question.
The role of white southern businessmen as a factor in the civil rights movement has been addressed by a number of people, largely following the lead of this edited collection: amazon.com/Southern-Busin…
I wrote about it a bit in White Flight, too.
As I showed there, businessmen were divided on the issue. Smaller businessmen tended to defend segregation statutes, while corporate figures were more concerned with keeping up Atlanta's PR image of "the city too busy to hate."
As I showed there, businessmen were divided on the issue. Smaller businessmen tended to defend segregation statutes, while corporate figures were more concerned with keeping up Atlanta's PR image of "the city too busy to hate."
When it came to the sit-ins, restaurant and hotel owners complained they were caught in the middle -- sometimes literally so, with SNCC activists and Klansmen holding marches outside their businesses at the same time.
Many wanted federal action, just to clear up the confusion.
Many wanted federal action, just to clear up the confusion.
Too long to tweet it all, but it's here in chapter 8: amazon.com/White-Flight-A…
