Writings of Frank Marshall Davis: A Voice of the Black Press edited by
John Edgar Tidwell Frank Marshall Davis (1905-1987) was a central figure
in the black press, working as reporter and editor for the Atlanta
World, the Associated Negro Press, the Chicago Star, and the Honolulu
Record. Writings of Frank Marshall Davis presents a selection of Davis's
nonfiction, providing an unprecedented insight into one journalist's
ability to reset the terms of public conversation and frame the news to
open up debate among African Americans and all Americans. During the
middle of the twentieth century, Davis set forth a radical vision that
challenged the status quo. His commentary on race relations, music,
literature, and American culture was precise, impassioned, and engaged.
At the height of World War II, Davis boldly questioned the nature of
America's potential postwar relations and what they meant for African
Americans and the nation. His work frequently challenged the usefulness
of race as a social construct, and he eventually disavowed the idea of
race altogether. Throughout his career, he championed the struggles of
African Americans for equal rights and laboring people seeking fair
wages and other benefits. Writings of Frank Marshall Davis reveals a
writer in touch with the most salient issues defining his era and his
desire to insert them into the public sphere. John Edgar Tidwell
provides an introduction and contextual notes on each major subject area
Davis explored. John Edgar Tidwell is an associate professor of English
at the University of Kansas.
