"To regain the lost rights of a growing race": Black political mobilization from 1865 to 1916 -- "The fight...to make America safe for Americans": Memphis as a political model for the region and the country, 1917-1927 -- "Come...and see what a Negro Democrat looks like": the diversity of Black political activity from 1928 to 1939 -- "As un-American as any dictator-ridden country in Europe": seeking democracy during the war years, 1940-1945 -- "A new day breaking" in the city and the south: the decline of the Crump machine and the rise of new leadership, 1946-1954 -- Conclusion.