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Summary
Summary
A gripping true story of murder and the fight for civil rights and social justice in 1960s Mississppi.
On June 21, 1964, three young men were killed by the Ku Klux Klan for trying to help black Americans vote as part of the 1964 Fredom Summer registration effort in Mississippi. The disappearance and brutal murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner caused a national uproar and was one of the most significant events of the civil rights movement.
The Freedom Summer Murders tells the tragic story of these brave men, the crime that resulted in their untimely deaths, and the relentless forty-one-year pursuit of a conviction. It is the story of idealistic and courageous young people who wanted to change their county for the better. It is the story of black and white. And ultimately, it is the story of our nation's endless struggle to close the gap between what is and what should be.
Author Notes
Don Mitchell is a critically acclaimed author of nonfiction for young people, including The Freedom Summer Murders , which received multiple starred reviews and was a Kirkus Prize finalist for Young Readers' Literature, an NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Literary Work for Teens, and a Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of the Year; Liftoff: A Photobiography of John Glenn ; and Driven: A Photobiography of Henry Ford . He has served on the staff of the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, as well as on the staff of the National Security Council.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9-The June 1964 murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi's Neshoba County merits study and reflection not only as a pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement but also as a yardstick to measure our country's progress since then toward true racial equality. Why? Because, as Mitchell and others repeatedly suggest in this authoritative and brutally honest chronicle, a major reason that, of the many racial atrocities committed in the South, this one gained such intense national attention and led to decades of investigations and trials is that two of the three victims were white. The author never makes an explicit connection with current events in Florida and elsewhere, but thoughtful readers will have no trouble connecting the dots. He also never uses the word "terrorism," but he clearly shows it in action by detailing the systematic campaign of threats, intimidation, assaults, and worse to which African Americans, particularly in Mississippi but also throughout the Jim Crow South, were subjected by whites-including, often, law enforcement officials. Distilling court records, printed sources, and original interviews with surviving family members, the author sets the ugly scene, describes the murders, recounts in detail the ensuing efforts to bring the killers to justice (or at least, as he puts it, "a measure of justice"), and offers biographical sketches both of the victims and of four associated heroes who played important roles in the case. A timely, essential account, illustrated with contemporary photos and capped with extensive endnotes and source notes.-John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Mitchell (A Red Woman Was Crying) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi who died helping African-Americans register to vote. A recount of the brutal slayings of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan opens the book. The narrative then rewinds to the upbringing and family lives of the three young men (two white and one African-American), while final chapters recap the long road to justice for their killers (a state trial resulted in the conviction of the suspected mastermind just nine years ago). Archival photos are included throughout, including a jarring image depicting the victims' partially buried bodies, discovered two months after the men went missing. Mitchell (Driven) concludes that it wasn't just "racist thugs" to blame for murdering the men. Rather, "they were killed by institutionalized racism that in 1964 permeated every aspect of Mississippi's legal, political and social order." Vignettes profiling other courageous civil rights figures connected to the case wrap up this extensively researched page-turner. A must-read in any young adult study of the civil rights era. Ages 14-up. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
The murders of three young civil rights workers--James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner--are the focus of Mitchell's absorbing book. He conducted interviews with friends and family members of the men, and provides a fascinating biographical sketch of each, along with a thorough account of the police investigation. This compelling book will grab you from its opening paragraphs and won't let go. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
During the Freedom Summer in 1964, volunteers came to Mississippi to help locals with black voter registration. There were many ramifications, but the most shocking event was the murders of young civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner. Full of original research and interviews with many personally involved, including the victims' families, this book goes into detail about what occurred and how the perpetrators were brought to at least partial justice. Better organization and a cast of characters would have helped readers sort out who was who. When the book gets rolling, however, the drama catches readers and doesn't let go. One of the book's most interesting points is how little interest American society had in civil rights violations against African Americans in the Deep South; when two white men were killed, though, the federal government and the media turned their spotlights on the issue. The black-and-white photographs are plentiful, and some are quite dramatic. An eye-opening read for young people, especially those coming to the Freedom Summer for the first time.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2014 Booklist
