Race, Rock, and Elvis

Observing that young fans of rhythm and blues in the South seemed more inclined than their elders to disregard Jim Crow’s long shadow, Race, Rock, and Elvis examines the emergence of rock ‘n’ roll in a social and regional context. Bertrand connects the music to the larger transformations that were unsettling the post-World War II southern landscape. Specifically, he shows how alienated and anonymous working-class teenage migrants such as Elvis Presley embraced black music and style to create identities within unfamiliar postwar urban settings. Bertrand contends that unprecedented access to African American culture challenged Presley’s generation to reassess age-old segregationist stereotypes. In evaluating the results of this intricate process, Bertrand provides a fascinating glimpse into the relationship between popular culture and social change. Michael T. Bertrand is an assistant professor of history at Tennessee State University.