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Summary
Summary
By the mid-1960s, the civil rights movement had been alive for many years and had achieved a fair amount of success in guaranteeing the rights of all Americans to equality and justice. But throughout much of the country, especially in the South, racism still prevailed and African Americans remained unable to vote, driven away from voter registration by complex and arbitrary regulations designed only to deny black voters any power or influence. In 1965, activists, led by Martin Luther King Jr., gathered in Selma, Alabama, where they planned to aggressively protest the voting injustice. Selma was a particularly notorious city, lorded over by racist and authoritarian sheriff Jim Clark. Clark and his allies in Selma, including Alabama governor George Wallace, were determined to stop the civil rights movement and ensure that blacks in Alabama would never have the same rights. Before long, the peaceful marches organized to protest injustice were met with brutal violence, and civil rights activists-men, women, and children gathered from around the country-were beaten, arrested, and sometimes killed. But the savage violence and cruelty was captured by TV cameras and journalists, and before long, the racism and hatred was known throughout America. People all over the nation joined King and those marching in Selma in demanding justice for all, and an end to the hatred that was tearing the country apart. Book jacket.
Reviews 2
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up-The African-American experience, from 1619 to the present, is fraught with turbulence and terror, joy and heartache. Still, it is difficult for those born after the Civil Rights Movement to understand fully what that period was all about. These two books can help to inform that understanding. The first one looks at the event that is thought by many to have ignited the Civil Rights Movement itself. The murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 by two or more racist white men was a horrendous act that shocked America. The second title presents a comprehensive look at the events in Selma, AL, that led to the passage of the groundbreaking Voting Rights Act of 1965. Both books give readers an insider look at the internal conflicts, contradictions, and controversies that surrounded each event. Both books are well organized and clearly written, and have extensive bibliographies, time lines, and black-and-white photos that help place each event within a cultural context. While there are several titles available about the Till murder, fewer books deal solely with the pivotal civil rights campaign in Selma. First purchases for most collections.-Carol Jones Collins, Columbia High School, Maplewood, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In The Trial of the Scottsboro Boys (2007), Aretha covered racism and official cruelty in the 1930s Jim Crow South. In this title, also in the Civil Rights series, he moves to mid-1960s Alabama and the black struggle to exercise the constitutional right to vote. Even those who know the story of the famous protest marches will be interested in the details here, which include a look at infighting within the protest movement, discussion of the role of leaders on all sides, descriptions of flagrant prejudice and physical abuse, and an account of the final triumphant march. There are quotes from and photos of the famous as well as the unknown, as well as exerpts from speeches and news photos of jeering whites and state troopers with guns, clubs, and gas. More than 20 pages of back matter, featuring a time line, detailed chapter notes, and a bibliography, will help readers find out more.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2007 Booklist
Table of Contents
| Chapter 1 White Voters Only | p. 9 |
| Chapter 2 Demanding the Ballot | p. 20 |
| Chapter 3 Bloody Selma | p. 37 |
| Chapter 4 "We Shall Overcome" | p. 53 |
| Chapter 5 The March | p. 73 |
| Chapter 6 Breakthrough at the Ballot Box | p. 84 |
| Chapter 7 Life After Selma | p. 93 |
| Timeline | p. 103 |
| Sources | p. 107 |
| Bibliography | p. 117 |
| Web sites | p. 123 |
| Index | p. 125 |
