Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, by Russell Freedman, copyright 2006
Rosa Parks. Martin Luther King Jr. Those two names are most frequently associated with the Montgomery Bus Boycott. But there were so many people, some known, the vast majority unknown, who, through their simple, defiant act of not riding a bus for 381 days, changed the United States forever.
In Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Russell Freedman relates the actions, attitudes, and influence of key figures in the non-violent protest against unjust transportation policies, primarily through their own words. In 1955 in Alabama and other states across America, not only were the buses segregated, black people were required to give up their seats if a white person wanted it -- even if that seat was in the section reserved for black people. In clear language appropriate for his audience of young readers, Freedman explains: "Even when not a single white passenger was on board, the front ten seats in every bus were reserved for whites, just in case one or two did ride. Often black riders jammed the aisle of a bus, standing over those empty seats, where they dared not sit down. And if the white section happened to fill up, then the blacks sitting just behind the reserved seats had to get up as more whites got on. Elderly black men and women were required by law to get out of their seats so that white schoolchildren could take a seat."
Illustrated with numerous incredible photographs, readers of Freedom Walkers can shiver at the Ku Klux Klan member holding a noose out of his car window, marvel at the dignified student separated into a small room away from his peers at a university, and admire the determination of workers waiting for a carpool to take them to their jobs. As the boycott unfolds in the narrative, the passion of those involved is evident and inspiring. Rather than ending the book with the end of the boycott -- brought about by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling segregation was unconstitutional -- Freedman briefly addresses the years after the boycott, in terms of the lives of the key figures in the protest as well as the civil rights movement in general.
Highly recommended for readers of all ages, Freedom Walkers is a balanced, thoughtful, and eye-opening account of the everyday, unsung heroes who made their way to justice one step at a time.
In Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Russell Freedman relates the actions, attitudes, and influence of key figures in the non-violent protest against unjust transportation policies, primarily through their own words. In 1955 in Alabama and other states across America, not only were the buses segregated, black people were required to give up their seats if a white person wanted it -- even if that seat was in the section reserved for black people. In clear language appropriate for his audience of young readers, Freedman explains: "Even when not a single white passenger was on board, the front ten seats in every bus were reserved for whites, just in case one or two did ride. Often black riders jammed the aisle of a bus, standing over those empty seats, where they dared not sit down. And if the white section happened to fill up, then the blacks sitting just behind the reserved seats had to get up as more whites got on. Elderly black men and women were required by law to get out of their seats so that white schoolchildren could take a seat."
Illustrated with numerous incredible photographs, readers of Freedom Walkers can shiver at the Ku Klux Klan member holding a noose out of his car window, marvel at the dignified student separated into a small room away from his peers at a university, and admire the determination of workers waiting for a carpool to take them to their jobs. As the boycott unfolds in the narrative, the passion of those involved is evident and inspiring. Rather than ending the book with the end of the boycott -- brought about by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling segregation was unconstitutional -- Freedman briefly addresses the years after the boycott, in terms of the lives of the key figures in the protest as well as the civil rights movement in general.
Highly recommended for readers of all ages, Freedom Walkers is a balanced, thoughtful, and eye-opening account of the everyday, unsung heroes who made their way to justice one step at a time.
I really must read this one - sounds fascinating!
Reply to this
Russell Freedman is one of the most lauded nonfiction writers in the U.S. He manages -- at least from my point of view -- to handle controversial subject matter in a balanced and informative way while also conveying the emotion of situation. I've added to my "to do" list to read all of his books and study his style as a writer, as following in his footsteps wouldn't be a bad gig!
Reply to this