Harlem Fox, The
J. Raymond Jones and Tammany, 1920-1970
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Description
This is the biography of J. Raymond Jones, premiere political strategist and first Black leader of Tammany Hall, who served New York City and the Democratic Party from the Harlem Renaissance through the Civil rights era. His rise thorough the ranks of the Party is traced in dramatic detail as his power expands to influence national politics and the political destinies of people like John Lindsay, Adam Clayton Powell, and Lyndon Johnson. It is based on extensive interviews with Jones and Jones's proteges, including politically prominent figures, Robert Wagner, former mayor of New York City, Percy Sutton, and Congressman Charles Rangel.
These memoirs are also a history of New York City politics during some of its most interesting and transitional eras. It is a lively account of the gradual emergence of blacks as a key element in the National Democratic Party coalition and will make an excellent case study for political activists by providing a practical, behind-the-scenes view of the political process in our nation's largest city.
John C. Walter is Professor and Head of the Afro-American Studies Department at the University of Cincinnati.
Reviews
"I became fascinated with the political career of J. Raymond Jones. The book contains important inside information on Black politics in New York. I gained new insights into Jones's role in the promotion of political careers of individuals such as Adam Clayton Powell and Constance Baker Motley. This book provides the first opportunity for researchers on ethnic politics to compare the factors central to the shaping of the political careers of Black politicians in New York, with those of politicians of other ethnic groups whose public lives have been the object of meticulous research. " -- William Nelson, Ohio State University