The idea that we fundamentally have more things in common than we have differences; that it is important to cross borders of race, ethnicity, class, and geography; that no neighborhood is the preserve of any one racial, ethnic, or religious group; and that all forms of illegal discrimination must be fought, wherever and whenever they manifest themselves. Once upon a time, it was called the Civil Rights Movement.
Professor Scott has written extensively about Louisiana during Reconstruction. She has observed that the prevailing view at that time was that citizenship entailed more than political rights; it entailed what were dubbed “public rights.” This section of the interview picks up on that theme. What was the understanding of “public rights”?