The Senator And The Socialite LP - Large Print by Lawrence Otis Graham (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"A cohesive picture of an extraordinary figure. . . . The issues raised by Bruce's life and career resonate today, making Graham's book not just a history but a revealing commentary on race and class, and on their inordinately powerful force in shaping our lives today."--Chicago Tribune

Spanning more than a century, Lawrence Otis's illuminating biography is a fascinating look at race and class in America, witnessed through the life of Blanche Kelso Bruce--the head of America's first black dynasty and the first black U.S. senator. Otis reveals how Bruce rose from slavery to achieve power and prestige in the aftermath of the Civil War. With his wife, the daughter of a prominent Philadelphia physician, he would break social and racial barriers--a legacy continued by their children until scandal destroyed the family's wealth and stature. Filled with triumph and tragedy, Otis's riveting book brings into focus an important yet little-known segment of our nation's past.

From the Back Cover

This is the true story of America's first black dynasty. The years after the Civil War represented an astonishing moment of opportunity for African-Americans. The rush to build a racially democratic society from the ruins of slavery is never more evident than in the personal history of Blanche Kelso Bruce and his heirs.

Born a slave in 1841, Bruce became a local Mississippi sheriff, developed a growing Republican power base, amassed a real-estate fortune, and became the first black to serve a full Senate term. He married Josephine Willson, the daughter of a wealthy black Philadelphia doctor. Together they broke racial barriers as a socialite couple in 1880s Washington, D.C.

By befriending President Ulysses S. Grant, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and a cadre of liberal black and white Republicans, Bruce spent six years in the U.S. Senate, then gained appointments under four presidents (Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, and McKinley), culminating with a top Treasury post, which placed his name on all U.S. currency.

During Reconstruction, the Bruce family entertained lavishly in their two Washington town houses and acquired an 800-acre plantation, homes in four states, and a fortune that allowed their son and grandchildren to attend Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University, beginning in 1896.

The Senator's legacy would continue with his son, Roscoe, who became both a protégé of Booker T. Washington and a superintendent of Washington, D.C.'s segregated schools. When the family moved to New York in the 1920s and formed an alliance with John D. Rockefeller Jr., the Bruces became an enviable force in Harlem society. Their public battle to get their grandson admitted into Harvard University's segregated dormitories elicited the support of people like W. E. B. Du Bois and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and broke brave new ground for blacks of their day.

But in the end, the Bruce dynasty's wealth and stature would disappear when the Senator's grandson landed in prison following a sensational trial and his Radcliffe-educated granddaughter married a black Hollywood actor who passed for white.

By drawing on Senate records, historic documents, and the personal letters of Senator Bruce, Josephine, their colleagues, friends, children, and grandchildren, author Lawrence Otis Graham weaves a riveting social history that spans 120 years. From Mississippi to Washington, D.C., to New York, The Senator and the Socialite provides a fascinating look into the history of race and class in America.

Review Quotes

"Graham's research is impressive and comprehensive....this compelling story shows how the American Dream can transmute into the American nightmare." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Informative...many striking tales. Mr. Graham is right to want to bring the story to a reading public." -- Wall Street Journal

"Graham's fluid prose paints an absorbing picture." -- Roll Call

"THE SENATOR AND THE SOCIALITE offers a compelling portrait of the Bruce family's rise, dynamics and downfall...A poignant tale of struggle, accomplishment...and an illuminating account of American racism." -- Washington Post

"A rare, detailed glimpse into politics, race, and class in post-Reconstruction America." -- U.S. News & World Report

"Few authors or journalists probe with more specificity and irony the dynamic of race and class than Lawrence Otis Graham....An entertaining, intriguing and sometimes amazing story of personal mobility and ambition. Provides thorough and solid historical detail, political analysis and cultural discussion. Without diluting the prose, downplaying the negatives or weakening the story, Graham presents a vital, previously underreported tale of glory, achievement and eventual disappointment." -- Book Alert

"Graham paints a compelling portrait of the important role Bruce played in the country's history." -- Chicago Sun-Times

"Graham...recovers the history of a family that broke barriers in Washington and at Exeter and Harvard. At the same time, he offers a devastating view of the compromises it made. -- The New Yorker

"A compelling portrait of the Bruce family's rise, dynamics and downfall...A poignant tale of struggle, accomplishment...and an illuminating account of American racism." -- Washington Post

"A cohesive picture of an extraordinary figure...The issues raised by Bruce's life and career resonate today, making Graham's book not just a history but a revealing commentary on race and class, and on their inordinately powerful force in shaping our lives today." -- Chicago Tribune

"This book opens the door to a rich, though frustrating, period in the country's past." -- New York Post

"Graham draws on his expertise to chronicle the astonishing rise of Blanche Bruce, the first black man to serve in the U.S. Senate...Graham cogently explains the treacherous post-Civil War political situation...Graham's real strength is his intricate delineation of class, color, culture and social climbing." -- USA Today

"Graham details the political machinations of the post-Reconstruction South and one man's attempt to build and maintain a dynasty." -- Booklist

"There is an intensity in Graham's use of language and the inherent family drama that gives the narrative a novelistic tone. Graham is a superb storyteller, and the Bruce dynasty perfect fodder for this gifted writer." -- Amsterdam News

"Graham digs deep and unearths secrets in...his absorbing book on money, class and color issues." -- Essence

"In another piece of powerful nonfiction, Lawrence Otis Graham returns to the shelves with The Senator and The Socialite." -- Ebony

"This account of a black family is a rags to riches to welfare tale that ought to intrigue." -- Publishers Weekly