Separate, But Equal: Images from the Segregated South

by Henry Clay Anderson, Mary Panzer, Clifton L. Taulbert

As the nation reflects on the Supreme Court's 1954 ruling against "separate, but equal," this remarkable book of photographs reveals the realities of segregated life for urban blacks in the South.

Henry Clay Anderson established Anderson Photo Service in Greenville, Mississippi in 1948. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, he photographed this relatively prosperous black community, recording the daily lives of the men and women who built the schools, churches, and hospitals that served their segregated society. His photographs of subjects ranging from family gatherings to nightclub musicians have strong political overtones.

In his accompanying essay, writer Clifton Taulbert guides us through the photographs, recalling his own memories of Greenville. The book also contains an interview with the late photographer and an essay on the political climate at the time. Together, these materials create a window into a world that has been overlooked in the aftermath of the civil rights movement—a community of prosperous, optimistic black Southerners who considered themselves first-class Americans despite living in a deeply segregated world.

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2004