Making Whiteness: The Culture of Segregation in the South, 1890-1940

Making Whiteness is a groundbreaking book that uncovers the historical "making" of contemporary American whiteness, revealing how this concept has been used to enforce a new social hierarchy while creating the illusion of a national, egalitarian, consumerist democracy.

Through a detailed analysis of segregationist culture, Hale shows how white southerners re-established their dominance through violence and physical separation after the Civil War, and how this creation of modern whiteness was later taken up by the rest of the nation.

By examining the lived experience of segregation, Hale makes it possible to imagine a future outside of it, holding out the promise of a truly democratic American identity.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex history of race and identity in America and working towards a more equitable society.