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corngod31's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Amazing. Sides of the story we never hear, and so important.
pamiverson's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating look at the Civil Rights Movement and how we do not look at it accurately -- i.e., discrimination occurred in the North, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and others were not the beloved icons they have become in retrospect, women had a bigger role, actions were planned. Good to read in conjunction with meeting people involved in the Movement in the South. Written by one of the leaders of the Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.
davehershey's review
4.0
You have probably heard some form of what Jeanne Theoharis calls "the fable." It is the common story told of the Civil Rights movement that focuses mostly on the problems in the South and revolves around a few tremendous figures (Rosa Parks, MLK Jr.) who led the way in overcoming racism and putting America on the path to a post-racial future. In this fable, the primary figures arose out of seemingly nowhere, were mostly friendly as they called for some abstract dream of everyone getting along, and they mostly succeeded.
Theoharis shows how this fable is historically erroneous and does a disservice in the present as well. She shows how the Civil Rights movement was not just focused on the South, for racism was prevalent in the North as well. The media played a role in portraying it as a southern problem, and Theoharis spends a lot of time showing how the media downplayed the activism that was happening for years in the north. Then, when the North exploded in riots and protests, the media and politicians acted like this had come out of nowhere. The fact was, they were just ignoring it. Further, the North masked their school segregation through code words such as "busing" and "neighborhood schools."
Just as activists in the North were working for years prior to being noticed, so too were they in the South. Perhaps the best part of this book is how it fills out Rosa Parks' story. She was not just a tired woman who got fed up one day and unintentionally started a movement. She was an activist, part of groups planning for years, and she continued to work for years after. In this work she, like MLK, was mostly opposed throughout her life. This is because the Civil Rights movement was not just about all people getting along (the fuzzy, friendly part of King's "I Have a Dream" speech) but was about economic equality, justice, accountability in policing and more.
Essentially, all the things Black Lives Matter is working on today.
Of course, we often hear today that BLM is too extreme. Because of the fable of the Civil Rights Movement, we hear that they are not advocating for the things King and Parks were. Except, they are advocating for exactly the same things, if we know a fuller and more accurate story of the movement. Theoharis shows how many of the criticisms of BLM today (they are too young, too extreme) were the same criticisms of King, Parks, and their peers.
Mentioning their peers is important, for another point she focuses on is that the movement was not just a few heavyweights. Instead, the movement was driven by dozens of activists who are mostly unknown. Included in this are many amazing women who were often pushed to the side then and still do not get their due today.
Overall, this is an important work of history. Theoharis gets a bit repetitive at times, but its worth it to get her point across. If you want to learn more of what the Civil Rights Movement was really about and if you want to learn to notice when and how it is mistaken and misused today, check this one out.
Theoharis shows how this fable is historically erroneous and does a disservice in the present as well. She shows how the Civil Rights movement was not just focused on the South, for racism was prevalent in the North as well. The media played a role in portraying it as a southern problem, and Theoharis spends a lot of time showing how the media downplayed the activism that was happening for years in the north. Then, when the North exploded in riots and protests, the media and politicians acted like this had come out of nowhere. The fact was, they were just ignoring it. Further, the North masked their school segregation through code words such as "busing" and "neighborhood schools."
Just as activists in the North were working for years prior to being noticed, so too were they in the South. Perhaps the best part of this book is how it fills out Rosa Parks' story. She was not just a tired woman who got fed up one day and unintentionally started a movement. She was an activist, part of groups planning for years, and she continued to work for years after. In this work she, like MLK, was mostly opposed throughout her life. This is because the Civil Rights movement was not just about all people getting along (the fuzzy, friendly part of King's "I Have a Dream" speech) but was about economic equality, justice, accountability in policing and more.
Essentially, all the things Black Lives Matter is working on today.
Of course, we often hear today that BLM is too extreme. Because of the fable of the Civil Rights Movement, we hear that they are not advocating for the things King and Parks were. Except, they are advocating for exactly the same things, if we know a fuller and more accurate story of the movement. Theoharis shows how many of the criticisms of BLM today (they are too young, too extreme) were the same criticisms of King, Parks, and their peers.
Mentioning their peers is important, for another point she focuses on is that the movement was not just a few heavyweights. Instead, the movement was driven by dozens of activists who are mostly unknown. Included in this are many amazing women who were often pushed to the side then and still do not get their due today.
Overall, this is an important work of history. Theoharis gets a bit repetitive at times, but its worth it to get her point across. If you want to learn more of what the Civil Rights Movement was really about and if you want to learn to notice when and how it is mistaken and misused today, check this one out.