We Shall Overcome : The History of the American Civil Rights Movement

Uses the words of spirituals and other music of the time to frame a discussion of the civil rights movement in the United States, focusing on specific people, incidents, and court cases.

Grade 5-9-Following a brief overview beginning in 1619, Finlayson focuses on the events of the 1950s and '60s, with the last chapter bringing readers up to the current day. Information is given about the Montgomery bus boycott, the Selma march, and the Freedom Riders. The roles of major leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, and Ralph Abernathy, are also explored. The author makes use of lyrics from civil rights songs to help emphasize the emotions of the people involved. This book evokes many feelings, ranging from extreme sadness to hope for the future. Abundant black-and-white photographs provide a visual image of the times. This is an excellent resource for reports, and a worthy addition to history collections.
Sheilah Kosco, Rapides Parish Library, Alexandria, LA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 6-10. The songs and speeches that drove America's civil rights movement form the unifying thread in this overview that focuses on events in the 1950s and 1960s. Each chapter begins with a quote that exemplifies the progressive struggle. In vivid language, Finlayson recounts the movement's roots in the Jim Crow South through the rise of early protests, the Greensboro Four, the Little Rock Nine, and finally the "gathering storm" that followed Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination--including the formation of the Black Panthers, Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition, and a mention of the racial profiling that occurred post-9/11. Finlayson sometimes oversimplifies events, as in his account of the Emmett Till tragedy, but he ably places events in their historical context and tells a linear, inspiring story of the crucial era. Compelling black-and-white photos, including one image of a lynching, bring the events up close. There are no notes, but a time line, bibliography, and two "In Their Own Words" excerpts (from King and from the party platform of the Black Panthers) close this useful introduction in the People's History series. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved