Final answer:
The question of black elite complicity or indifference to racist policies during the civil rights era is complex. Black conservative elites often endorsed goals of the civil rights movement and sought socio-economic advancement through Black capitalism, indicating neither universal complicity nor indifference.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether black elites were complicit or indifferent to the maintenance of racist policies is a nuanced one that requires a multifaceted look at historical events and attitudes during the civil rights era. Black leaders like Malcolm X highlighted persistent de facto segregation and economic inequality, suggesting an active engagement with racial issues rather than indifference. Political scientist Lewis A. Randolph points out that Black conservatives during the civil rights era, who were predominantly middle class and deeply entwined with religious and moral sensibilities, generally supported the movement's integrationist goals. Additionally, the commitment to Black capitalism by upper-middle-class Black women in the 1960s, seen in the embracement of federal programs for individual advancement, reveals that complicity was not universally characteristic of black conservative elites, who sought progress within the social structure of the time.
The active participation of black elites in sports, avoiding confrontation to promote their ability to play without alienating white spectators, shows a complex approach that tried to balance racial advancement with pragmatic concerns. Moreover, as black voters became increasingly crucial in Northern cities, their interests began to influence some political strategies, indicating a level of engagement inconsistent with the notion of wholesale indifference or complicity.