James Stahlman's Banner: A Summary

What becomes clear is that the events–before, after, and during Carmichael’s visit and the speeches he delivered—took place on two quite distinct, though not completely independent levels. Creating and then using the “hate-spieling” atmosphere that Carmichael duped as a modern version of the theatre of the absurd in his speech, city and state officials – helped by James Stahlman’s Banner, created a narrative of “outside instigation” that reinforced the notion of Nashville as an exceptional, moderate city in terms of its racial climate. By using a strategy that had proved successful on the local level in the past and that had been widely used to vilify Carmichael and challenge his status as a U.S. citizen, some Nashvillian officials, in close cooperation with state representatives, successfully deflected from the deep underlying racial problems that still existed in the city. …show more content…
In heavily relying on the theme of racial harmony, officials made clear that the unrests in Nashville had not been a “ghetto” revolt; rather, the ghetto inhabitants, Mayor Briley suggested, were victims of radical students, many of the “new” to the