NPR American Chronicles: Civil Rights

By: National Public Radio

Narrated by: Michele Norris

Length: 3 hrs

Publisher's summary

It wasn't that long ago that black citizens had to move to the back of the bus. In this stirring collection, NPR tells stories large and small: of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and the March on Washington; of Pullman porters, an invaluable green book, and women who baked pies to support the Montgomery bus boycott. Personal recollections and historical accounts paint vivid pictures of individuals and events that transformed a nation.

Contents:

• "Introduction" by Michele Norris
• "Rosa Parks"
• "The Club from Nowhere: Cooking for Civil Rights"
• "The Forgotten Hero of the Civil Rights Movement"
• "The First Civil Rights Bus Boycott"
• "Before Rosa Parks, There Was Claudette Colvin"
• "Former Pullman Porter Subtly Confronted Racism"
• "'Green Book' Helped African Americans Travel Safely"
• "Jim Crow: Blacks Survived with Dignity"
• "The Power of Pictures in the Struggle for Civil Rights"
• "Emmett Till and the Impact of Images"
• "Mahalia Jackson: Voice of the Civil Rights Movement"
• "Wallace in the Schoolhouse Door"
• "Breaking the Color Barrier"
• "Sound Vault: The Civil Rights Act"
• "Mississippi 1964: Civil Rights and Unrest"
• "James Farmer and the Freedom Summer"
• "Freedom Riders"
• "Rep. John Lewis on Prosecuting the Past"
• "The Legacy of Medgar Evers"
• "Julian Bond Remembers"
• "Looking Back to Hear Malcolm X"
• "Dorothy Height Sees Dream Come True"
• "Radio History: March on Washington Recalled"
• "Remembering King and the 'Fierce Urgency of Now'"
• "Martin Luther King, 'At Canaan's Edge'"

©1984-2011 National Public Radio, Inc. (P)2011 National Public Radio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The personal reflections and historical accounts are alternately riveting, moving, and shocking but at all times a reminder of the power of the human spirit. This is a potent rendering of some of the most important civil rights events. As a short, quick overview of this important part of our nation's history, this is unbeatable; listeners will be moved to tears at times by the compelling narration. Highly recommended for anyone interested in U.S. history and/or civil rights" ( Library Journal)

"Riveting.... Extraordinary accounts of courage and valor. This impressive collection deserves a prominent spot in audio collections." ( Booklist)

"An absorbing, informative, and often moving reminder of how bad things were and what it cost to change them. The program should be especially valuable for educational use." ( AudioFile)

A really good account of civil rights

This book will help you learn new facts and appreciate those pioneers who struggled for the cause.