Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 19451968

(Paperback, Second Edition)

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No other book about the civil rights movement captures the drama and impact of the black struggle for equality better than Debating the Civil Rights Movement, 19451968. Two of the most respected scholars of African-American history, Steven F. Lawson and Charles M. Payne, examine the individuals who made the movement a success, both at the highest level of government and in the grassroots trenches. Designed specifically for college and university courses in American history, this is the best introduction available to the glory and agony of these turbulent times. Carefully chosen primary documents augment each essay giving students the opportunity to interpret the historical record themselves and engage in meaningful discussion. In this revised and updated edition, Lawson and Payne have included additional analysis on the legacy of Martin Luther King and added important new documents.

Reviews

The second edition of Debating the Civil Rights Movement introduces students to Martin Luther King as a 'genuine revolutionary' with an insightful essay by Steve Lawson and King's 'Where Do We Go from Here' speech. King's admonition that the problems of race, economic exploitation, and war 'are all tied together' has haunting relevance for readers today. Transcriptions of interviews with Bob Moses, E.W. Steptoe, and Fannie Lou Hamer in Charles Payne's section, 'The View from the Trenches,' vividly illustrate perseverance and courage of grass roots organizers and the value of oral history in giving voice to 'local people' in the struggle for civil rights. -- Barbara Steinson, DePauw University
For use in the classroom, this book cuts straight to the heart of the matter. My students have appreciated the work's conciseness as well as the spirited engagement between the authors. The new edition, moreover, incorporates a new and valuable essay by Lawson as well as some powerful interviews conducted by Payne and others, which provide further source material for students to discuss. This remains my favorite civil rights text for use in my American history courses. -- Paul Harvey, University of Colorado
This book teaches well and I will use it again. -- Zachary M. Schrag, author of The Great Society Subway: A History of the Washington Metro

Author Bio

Steven F. Lawson is professor of history at Rutgers University and author of Running for Freedom: Civil Rights and Black Politics in America since 1941.Charles M. Payne is Sally Dalton Robinson professor of history, African American studies and sociology and director of the African and African-American Studies Program at Duke University. He is the author of I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle.