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Black Camelot

African-American Culture Heroes in Their Times, 1960-1980

Black Camelot

African-American Culture Heroes in Their Times, 1960-1980

In the wake of the Kennedy era, a new kind of ethnic hero emerged within African-American popular culture. Uniquely suited to the times, burgeoning pop icons projected the values and beliefs of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, and reflected both the possibility and the actuality of a rapidly changing American landscape.

In Black Camelot, William Van Deburg examines the dynamic rise of these new black champions, the social and historical contexts in which they flourished, and their powerful impact on the African-American community.

"Van Deburg manages the enviable feat of writing with flair within a standardized academic framework, covering politics, social issues and entertainment with equal aplomb."—Jonathan Pearl, Jazz Times

"[A] fascinating, thorough account of how African-American icons of the 1960s and ’70s have changed the course of American history. . . . An in-depth, even-tempered analysis. . . . Van Deburg’s witty, lively and always grounded style entertains while it instructs."—Publishers Weekly

310 pages | 30 halftones | 6 x 9 | © 1997

Black Studies

History: American History

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction- Of Kings, Kennedys, and Culture Heroes
1. The Black Hero’s History and Humanity
2. Championing the 1960s Cultural Revolution
3. Sports Superstars
4. Heroic Hustlers and Daring Detectives
5. Black Musical Mediators as Culture Heroes
Conclusion- Black Camelot Found and Lost
Notes
Index

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