Free At Last: A History of the Civil Rights Movement and Those Who Died in the Struggle
Gr. 6-10. What happened in the South during the 1950s and 1960s still affects our lives today. This insightful volume, introduced by Julian Bond, was developed as part of the "Teaching Tolerance" program at the Southern Poverty Law Center. In a format easily accessible to a wide range of readers, the book provides a brief history of blacks in the U. S., then discusses the civil-rights movement chronologically. Although the first part of the book does not cover any particular incident in depth--there is one five-sentence paragraph about Rosa Parks--the narrative unveils the history clearly and poignantly. Each double-page spread contains captioned black-and-white photos that will have significant impact on the reader. Perhaps the strongest part of the book is the last section, which describes the lives and deaths of 40 people, black and white, who were an integral part of the movement. Although many of those included are well known, others may be new names to most readers. See also Belinda Rochelle'sWitnesses to Freedom, Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights, reviewed in this issue. A civil-rights time line and a bibliography are appended.Deborah Abbott--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.