| Abstract: | Since 1967 Afro-Americans have made great strides in electoralpolitics in the rural South. However, comparable progress inacquiring material resources to satisfy escalating demands fromnewly mobilized constituents has not been achieved in many instances.This article examines the experiences of three, rural, Mississippitowns which elected their first Afro-American mayors in the1970s. In responding to the separate demands of representation(direct citizen benefits) and institutionalization (maintenanceof Afro-American leadership), the new mayors made successfuluse of various federal aid programs. While helping the mayorsto improve public services and construct new community facilities,the federal aid did not contribute to the more long-range goalof institutionalization. The continuing problem for such localareas under Afro-American political control is the lack of independentresources. |
