Publisher Description
In the summer of 1964, with the civil rights movement stalled, seven hundred college students descended on Mississippi to register black voters, teach in Freedom Schools, and live in sharecroppers’ shacks. But by the time their first night in the state had ended, three volunteers were dead, black churches had burned, and America had a new definition of freedom. This remarkable chapter in American history, the basis for the controversial film Mississippi Burning, is now the subject of Bruce Watson’s thoughtful and riveting historical narrative. Using in-depth interviews with participants and residents, Watson brilliantly captures the tottering legacy of Jim Crow in Mississippi and the chaos that brought such national figures as Martin Luther King, Jr., and Pete Seeger to the state. Freedom Summer presents finely rendered portraits of the courageous black citizens and Northern volunteers who refused to be intimidated in their struggle for justice, as well as the white Mississippians who would kill to protect a dying way of life. Few books have provided such an intimate look at race relations during the deadliest days of the civil rights movement.
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“Freedom Summer tells the story of Mississippi during the summer of 1964 when hundreds of college students from across the US traveled to Mississippi to open Freedom Schools, run voter registration drives and education, and support African Americans stepping into County Courthouses to register to vote. It was a summer of terror for all, for African Americans standing watch with rifles and shotguns to the young students whom they were protecting. White Mississippians were terrified of the changes to come from the “invasion” of these outsiders, which included the FBI. This is the summer told of in the film Mississippi Burning in which 3 civil rights workers are murdered. One of the most interesting chapters of the book is the epilogue, which tells of the reaction of the civil rights workers and the residents of Mississippi. Whites were outraged that once again they were shown at their racist worst when they have made progress in Mississippi. The civil rights workers were outraged that Blacks were shown as helpless and the FBI were heroes. This was not the case in the summer of 1964.
I do most of my reading by audiobook and Freedom Summer was a good choice for my commute. Performer David Drummond held my attention and engaged my imagination with subtle shifts in voice to indicate speakers. His accents, from New England to the Deep South, were effective and never sounded fake.
The story is told through extensive research with interviews and letters so that the voices of the civil rights workers are clear. Freedom Summer is highly recommended as an education for those not yet born in 1964 and a reminder to those who were that there are still pockets of poverty and racism in the USA.”
—
Susan (4 out of 5 stars)
