Holding the Line

Race, Racism, and American Foreign Policy Toward Africa, 1953-1961

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, International, International Relations
Cover of the book Holding the Line by George White Jr., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: George White Jr. ISBN: 9781461637363
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Publication: November 4, 2005
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Language: English
Author: George White Jr.
ISBN: 9781461637363
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Publication: November 4, 2005
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Language: English

The rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union intensified as Dwight D. Eisenhower entered the White House. However, the burning question for the vast majority of the world's population was not whether they would join the "Free World" or the Soviet bloc, but whether they could achieve meaningful self-determination. Nowhere did the answer to that question loom larger than in Africa.

The Eisenhower administration's confrontation with Africa demonstrates the significance of race in the creation and execution of American foreign policy. In this new work, historian George White, Jr. explores the ways in which Eisenhower diplomacy, influenced by America's racialized fantasies, fears, and desires, turned the Cold War into a global sanctuary for the rehabilitation of Whiteness. In turn, American statesmen and bureaucrats justified the undermining of democracy and freedom by stuffing the multi-faceted realities of African aspirations and Western privileges into the straitjacket of a bi-polar worldview. Using as its foundation American relations with Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, and the Congo, Holding the Line demonstrates the power of race to warp perception and to severely limit the parameters and possibilities of human engagement.

Holding the Line provides a fresh perspective on 1950s era U.S. foreign relations that remain salient in American diplomacy today. This is a book that will be of interest to students of American diplomatic history, Critical Race and Whiteness studies, American studies, and international relations.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union intensified as Dwight D. Eisenhower entered the White House. However, the burning question for the vast majority of the world's population was not whether they would join the "Free World" or the Soviet bloc, but whether they could achieve meaningful self-determination. Nowhere did the answer to that question loom larger than in Africa.

The Eisenhower administration's confrontation with Africa demonstrates the significance of race in the creation and execution of American foreign policy. In this new work, historian George White, Jr. explores the ways in which Eisenhower diplomacy, influenced by America's racialized fantasies, fears, and desires, turned the Cold War into a global sanctuary for the rehabilitation of Whiteness. In turn, American statesmen and bureaucrats justified the undermining of democracy and freedom by stuffing the multi-faceted realities of African aspirations and Western privileges into the straitjacket of a bi-polar worldview. Using as its foundation American relations with Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, and the Congo, Holding the Line demonstrates the power of race to warp perception and to severely limit the parameters and possibilities of human engagement.

Holding the Line provides a fresh perspective on 1950s era U.S. foreign relations that remain salient in American diplomacy today. This is a book that will be of interest to students of American diplomatic history, Critical Race and Whiteness studies, American studies, and international relations.

More books from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Cover of the book The Resurgence of Anti-Semitism by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Herod the Great by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Successful School Staffing Strategies by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Frasier by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Women in War Films by George White Jr.
Cover of the book War and Border Crossings by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Preparing Future Leaders for Social Justice by George White Jr.
Cover of the book The Essential Films of Ingrid Bergman by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Mobile Devices by George White Jr.
Cover of the book A World-Systems Reader by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Don't Gossip in the Teachers' Lounge by George White Jr.
Cover of the book China's Leaders by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Paths to Making a Difference by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Sociology of Religion by George White Jr.
Cover of the book Vanishing Coup by George White Jr.
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy