His views were more suited for an America that existed during the years of the Eisenhower presidency (1953 to 1961), a period when white dominance in America was the norm and the Klan literally ruled communities across the South. That era, which included Wisconsin senator Joe McCarthy and his crusade against communism, was one of an attitude of “cultural elitism” on the part of the white mainstream. That attitude was very notable in the attack back then against rock ’n’ roll, the new form of music that was emerging from the roots of black culture and being widely accepted by white youth. The
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