The Freedom Summer Murders - Hardcover

Mitchell, Don

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0545477255 ISBN 13: 9780545477253

Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2014

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author

Don Mitchell is a critically acclaimed author of nonfiction for young people, including The Lady Is a Spy: Virginia Hall, World War II Hero of the French Resistance and 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

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

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. Grades 6-9. --Ilene Cooper

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0545477255
• ISBN 13: 9780545477253
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256