Open democratic mobilization by people of color was exceptional in US history

Evidence

Only under some circumstances has open and “free” political mobilization for democratic reform been possible for people of color: The two great moments of this mainstream political upsurge were, of course, the Reconstruction period (1865-1877) and the post- World War II civil rights period (1948-1970). At other times democratic political action had to take shape quite autonomously, beneath the radar of the state (and often beneath the social scientific radar as well). This suggests the subaltern character of racial democracy. — Michael Omi, Howard Winant, Racial Formation in the United States, 142

Categorization

• QUESTION: Winant sketches a periodization of racial-democratic upsurge (Reconstruction, civil rights) worth verifying and extending against other sources.
• XREF: connects to: The 1960s expansions of democratic rights were driven by popular mobilization — Michael Omi, Howard Winant, Racial Formation in the United States, 23