Like A Mighty Stream: The March On Washington - Hardcover

Bass, Patrik Henry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0762412925 ISBN 13: 9780762412921

Publisher: Running Press, 2002

Synopsis

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, held in the nation's capital on August 28, 1963, is recognized as a watershed moment in American history.

It was epochal; one of the most significant events of the 20th century. The New York Times called the March "the greatest assembly ever seen." No public event before or since has had the social, cultural, or political impact of The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

Although the civil rights movement was at full-throttle in 1963, many Americans were distracted by the homespun humor of The Andy Griffith Show and the whimsy of My Favorite Martian on television; entranced by Lesley Gore's "It's My Party" and The Beatles "She Loves You" on the radio; and entertained by the fantasy of Jason and the Argonauts and Alfred Hitchcock's improbable thriller "The Birds" at the drive-in.

On August 28, 1963, the world focused its attention on the nation's capital, where more than 250,000 Americans from every region of the country gathered-black and white; young and old, privileged and poor-to show their support for the passage of an historic civil rights bill that would end legal segregation in America.

Like A Mighty Stream: The March on Washington, August 28, 1963 is a retrospective of the events that led to the March. The book zeroes in on the leaders who made it happen, and explores its impact on the people who attended. It illuminates one of the most intense moments of the Civil Rights Movement.

In anticipation of the March's 40th anniversary next year, author and journalist Patrik Henry Bass integrates the remembrances of the everyday and well-known Americans who attended, including NPR correspondent Vertamae Grosvenor, Georgia representative Nan Grogan Orrock, and 60 Minutes correspondent Ed Bradley, Jr. All their accounts varied, they are unanimous in their opinion that this was one of the greatest days in American history: an unparalleled celebration of humanity and hope.

Included in the book are 14 photos-some never before seen. This is a must-have for anyone interested in American history, or in learning about the power of nonviolent protest to effect social change.

About this title

About the Author

Patrik Henry Bass is an award-winning author and journalist, who has written and edited for many publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly and Essence, where he is books editor. He is co-author of the national bestseller In Our Own Image: Treasured African American Traditions, Journeys and Icons (Running Press, 2001).

Reviews

On August 28, 1963, a quarter of a million people from all walks of life came together in Washington to demand justice in the struggle over civil rights. President Kennedy had just introduced his civil rights bills (signed into law by President Johnson in 1965), and the nation's most influential leaders had called for a rally to signal their support. Bass, the books editor at Essence and co-author of In Our Own Image, eschews dry, documented history in favor of interviewing people who participated in the event and writing from the heart. The result is a compelling, emotional narrative that brings to life the trials and tribulations of black Americans in the era, the struggles over organizing the march and its resounding success. Bass includes some discussion about the cancelled 1941 march on Washington, which President Roosevelt forestalled by issuing an executive order prohibiting discrimination in defense industries (Asa Randolph, who organized the 1941 event, was also instrumental in planning the 1963 march). Bass also brings to light some of the arguing behind the scenes, most importantly the disagreement over a speech planned by John Lewis, the chairman of the Southern NonViolent Coordinating Committee. And of course much coverage is given to Martin Luther King's brilliant address, which is printed in full in this slim book. Readers interested in the civil rights movement will find this an important overview of a critical event in America's often tortured history of race relations. (This was published in October of 2002 - but the 40th anniversary of the march is this year.)
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Running Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0762412925
• ISBN 13: 9780762412921
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160