Like A Mighty Stream - Softcover

Bass, Patrik Henry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0762416963 ISBN 13: 9780762416967

Publisher: Running Press, 2003

Synopsis

The March on Washington, one of the most significant public events of the 20th century, is remembered in this amazing book that details the defining moment of the Civil Rights Movement. On August 28, 1963, people from all walks of life and socioeconomic backgrounds, races and religions came together to support a national civil rights initiative. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s stirring delivery of his now historic "I Have a Dream" speech signaled a turning point in United States contemporary history for a generation, a nation, and the world. Acclaimed journalist and author Patrik Henry Bass weaves eyewitness accounts, photographs, reporting, and observations into a memorable mosaic of one of the most unforgettable events in American history.

About this title

About the Author

Patrik Henry Bass, co-author of In Our Own Image: Treasured African-American Traditions, Journeys, and Icons, is books editor for Essence magazine. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Entertainment Weekly.

From Publishers Weekly

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Running Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0762416963
• ISBN 13: 9780762416967
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160