American History

The Civil Rights Movement
Author Michael V. Uschan
Published by Lucent Books

Looks at the Civil Rights Movement in the United States as a four-century struggle that began with as early as the Revolutionary War and continued with slave rebellions in the years leading up to the Civil War. Talks about rights that were gained during Reconstruction, but then lost again as southern states used violence to disenfranchise and oppress blacks. Examines early 20th century efforts to improve the lives of African Americans, encouraged by black leaders such as W.E.B. DuBois and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. These efforts led to what many call the modern Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Author also discusses the groundbreaking milestone of having a black U.S. president but acknowledges the U.S. has a ways to go before achieving true equality.

Chapters include:

From Slavery to Freedom
The Fight for Equality Begins
Blacks Battle Racism in the Twentieth Century
The Modern Civil Rights Crusade
Fighting Segregation
Blacks Win The Right to Vote
The Fight for Equality Has Not Ended

The roots of the modern Civil Rights Movement in the United States pervade the nation's history, from the slave rebellions in the years leading up to the Civil War, to the rights gained during Reconstruction, to the early 20th-century efforts of black leaders such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells-Barnett. This book chronicles the journey that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the milestone election of President Barack Obama, as well as the continuing struggle for true equality.

Review:

"This would be an excellent selection for upper elementary, middle and some high school libraries. Recommended for Tristate Books of Note-series, for 2011."
--Ludington Library Reviews, January, 2011

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