Presidential Leadership and African Americans: "An American Dilemma" from Slavery to the White House

232 Pages·2015·1.32 MB·English

by  George R. Goethals

PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP AND
AFRICAN AMERICANS
“In this highly original and timely inquiry, eminent social psychologist and leader-
ship scholar George Goethals traces the formative role that presidential judgment
and initiative have played in the progress of African Americans in this country—
from the beginnings of slavery to the election of its first African American presi-
dent. The points are incisively argued and the narrative masterfully wrought. This
is a major achievement and one that sets the bar for future scholarship in this
important and neglected area.”
—Roderick M. Kramer, William R. Kimball Professor of Organizational Behavior,
Stanford University Graduate School of Business, USA
“Professor Goethals’ brilliant and pioneering book is a penetrating examination
of the leadership, values, and policy decisions of eight American presidents in rela-
tion to the plight as well as the progress of African Americans in the United States.
Deeply engaging, brimming with original insights, I could hardly put it down.”
—Susan Dunn, author of 1940: FDR, Willkie, Lindbergh,
Hitler—the Election Amid the Storm, Williams College, USA
“Provocative and compelling. When it came to issues of racial equality, many
of our illustrious presidents, including Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow
Wilson, Psychologist Al Goethals tellingly concludes, were conflicted followers
of the status quo rather than leaders.”
—Tom Cronin, Colorado College, USA
Presidential Leadership and African Americans examines the leadership styles of eight
American presidents and shows how the decisions made by each affected the lives
and opportunities of the nation’s black citizens. Beginning with George Washing-
ton and concluding with the landmark election of Barack Obama, Goethals traces
the evolving attitudes and morality that influenced the actions of each president on
matters of race and shows how their personal backgrounds as well as their individual
historical, economic, and cultural contexts combined to shape their values, judg-
ments, and decisions, and ultimately their leadership, regarding African Americans.
George R. Goethals, PhD, is the E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Profes-
sor in Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond. He is a fellow of the
American Psychological Association, the Society of Experimental Social Psy-
chology, and the Association for Psychological Science. He is also a member of
the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
Leadership: Research and Practice Series
A James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership
Collaboration
Series Editors
Georgia Sorenson, PhD, Research Professor in Leadership Studies, University
of Maryland, and Founder of the James MacGregor Burns Academy . . . and the
International Leadership Association.
Ronald E. Riggio, PhD, is the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership
and Organizational Psychology and former Director of the Kravis Leadership
Institute at Claremont McKenna College.
Scott T. Allison and George R. Goethals
Heroic Leadership: An Influence Taxonomy of 100 Exceptional Individuals
Michelle C. Bligh and Ronald E. Riggio (Eds.)
Exploring Distance in Leader-Follower Relationships: When Near Is Far and
Far Is Near
Michael A. Genovese
Building Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: On Becoming a Polymath Leader
Michael A. Genovese and Janie Steckenrider (Eds.)
Women as Political Leaders: Studies in Gender and Governing
Jon P. Howell
Snapshots of Great Leadership
Aneil Mishra and Karen E. Mishra
Becoming a Trustworthy Leader: Psychology and Practice
Ronald E. Riggio and Sherylle J. Tan (Eds.)
Leader Interpersonal and Influence Skills: The Soft Skills of Leadership
Dinesh Sharma and Uwe P. Gielen (Eds.)
The Global Obama: Crossroads of Leadership in the 21st Century
Nathan W. Harter
Leadership and Coherence: A Cognitive Approach
George R. Goethals
Presidential Leadership and African Americans: “An American Dilemma” from Slavery
to the White House
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PRESIDENTIAL
LEADERSHIP AND
AFRICAN AMERICANS
“An American Dilemma” from Slavery
to the White House
by George R. Goethals
First published 2015
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
27 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2FA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Taylor & Francis
The right of George R. Goethals to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Goethals, George R.
Presidential leadership and African-Americans : “an American dilemma”
from slavery to the White House / by George R. Goethals.
pages cm. — (Leadership : research and practice series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Presidents—Relations with African Americans—History.
2. Presidents—United States—Racial attitudes—History. 3. Slavery—
Political aspects—United States—History. 4. African Americans—Civil
rights—History. 5. Political leadership—United States—Psychological
aspects—History. 6. United States—Race relations—Political aspects—
History. 7. United States—Politics and government. I. Title.
E176.472.A34G63 2015
323.1196'073—dc23
2014041473
ISBN: 978-1-138-81424-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-138-81425-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-74762-0 (ebk)
Typeset in Bembo
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
To BB, for a half-century of love and support
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CONTENTS
List of Illustrations and Credits xi
Series Editor Foreword xiii
Preface xv
Introduction: Presidential Leadership and the American
Dilemma: Psychological Dimensions 1
1 George Washington 11
In freeing his slaves in his will: “I . . . most solemnly enjoin it
upon my Executors . . . to see that this clause respecting Slaves . . .
be religiously fulfilled . . . without evasion, neglect or delay.”
2 Thomas Jefferson 35
In an 1820 letter about slavery: “ We have the wolf by the ear,
and we can neither hold him, nor safely let him go. Justice is in one
scale, and self-preservation in the other.”
3 Abraham Lincoln 55
In concluding the Emancipation Proclamation: “And upon this
act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice . . . I invoke the
considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of
Almighty God.”
4 Ulysses S. Grant 81
In an 1870 message to Congress, praising the recently ratified
Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, barring the denial
of voting rights on the grounds of race: “A measure of grander
importance than any other one act of the kind from the foundation
of our free government to the present day.”
ix