A new civil rights reader that integrates the primary source approach
with the latest historiographical trends
Designed for use in a wide range of curricula, The Civil Rights
Movement: A Documentary Reader presents an in-depth exploration of the
multiple facets and layers of the movement, providing a wide range of
primary sources, commentary, and perspectives. Focusing on documents,
this volume offers students concise yet comprehensive analysis of the
civil rights movement by covering both well-known and relatively
unfamiliar texts. Through these, students will develop a sophisticated,
nuanced understanding of the origins of the movement, its pivotal years
during the 1950s and 1960s, and its legacy that extends to the present
day.
Part of the Uncovering the Past series on American history, this
documentary reader enables students to critically engage with primary
sources that highlight the important themes, issues, and figures of the
movement. The text offers a unique dual approach to the subject,
addressing the opinions and actions of the federal government and
national civil rights organizations, as well as the views and struggles
of civil rights activists at the local level. An engaging and
thought-provoking introduction to the subject, this volume:
- Explores the civil rights movement and the African American experience
within their wider political, economic, legal, social, and cultural
contexts
- Renews and expands the primary source approach to the civil rights
movement
- Incorporates the latest historiographical trends including the "long"
civil rights movement and intersectional issues
- Offers authoritative commentary which places the material in
appropriate context
- Presents clear, accessible writing and a coherent chronological
framework
Written by one of the leading experts in the field, The Civil Rights
Movement: A Documentary Reader is an ideal resource for courses on the
subject, as well as classes on race and ethnicity, the 1960s, African
American history, the Black Power and economic justice movements, and
many other related areas of study.
