Children of the Movement: The Sons and Daughters of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad, George Wallace, Andrew Young, Julian Bond, Stokely ... Rights Movement Tested and Transformed Thei (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT now occupies a cozy place in America's collective memory..." (more)
Key Phrases: segregationist beliefs, global justice movement, movement veterans, Martin Luther King, Kwame Ture, Black Panther Party (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While most people contemplate civil rights struggles in the "past tense," this is a luxury that offspring of the era’s famous names cannot afford, says Blake, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter. The author spent two years tracking down the adult sons and daughters of the iconic leaders, lesser-known lieutenants, valiant activists and arch segregationists for these 24 brief, often emotional, occasionally predictable profiles. A few of the civil rights movement’s second generation writhe under the weight of history, while others thrive on self-forged paths. For the sons of Martin Luther King Jr. and Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), the personal is always political as they confront unrelenting pressures to carry on their fathers’ monumental works. The biracial daughters of Reverend James Bevel, an influential sit-in leader and protest organizer, bemoan their absentee father, a civil rights "Daddy Dearest" who "speaks in political theory all the time" and lambastes interracial relationships. Blake excels at uncovering the questions gnawing at his subjects. George Wallace’s daughter wonders, "How do you explain your father to your own son?" The child of Black Panther Party leader Elaine Brown asks, "What do you do when the revolution never comes?" Blake does not, however, attempt to answer these nagging questions. The final chapter, on "The New Radicals"—the anti-globalization leaders who claim inspiration from their parents’ activism—presents a problematic coda. A mostly-white movement with global aims, this movement’s battle in Seattle fails to rouse the same passion as earlier struggles in Selma and Atlanta. However, this slight diversion does not upstage an otherwise insightful study of civil rights figures through the eyes and lives of their children. 65 b & w photos
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From Booklist

Newspaper reporter Blake examines the relationships between well-known civil rights activists and their sons and daughters in this revealing look at how the movement affected the personal lives of activists and the legacy inherited by their children. Blake profiles 24 children of activists, as well as some of their parents, many of whom were left deflated after their activist experience and unable to get their bearings in life. Among the subjects are the children of iconic figures Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, as well as the children of Elijah Muhammad, Andrew Young, Julian Bond, Stokely Carmichael, Bob Moses, James Chaney, and Elaine Brown. These revealing portraits show some parents as emotionally and professionally adrift after the movement, distant or overly demanding of their children. Among the offspring, some recount the overwhelming expectations placed on them, and many are less idealistic about changing the world. Blake also includes triumphant portraits of parents and offspring who have survived the traumatic stress of the movement and continue a tradition of idealism and activism. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556525370
• ISBN-13: 978-1556525377
• Product Dimensions: 3.7 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,317,980 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of the Heart and Soul of the Freedom Movement, June 18, 2004

By	Elaine Brown (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews

John Blake's book, "Children of the Movement," provides a powerful, if painful, glimpse into the heart and soul of the Freedom Movement of the Sixties, as, an insightful portrait of its legacy, through the lens of some of its children--one of whom is my own daughter, Ericka Abram. Blake's tenderly-written report reveals many common themes in the perspectives and lives of these offspring, the most compelling for me being that Movement parents seemed to have been so committed to our cause and protecting our children from the social ills we fought, we forgot to tell them what and why we were fighting. The resulting common disconnection between parents and children is more broadly reflected in the confusion and despair of today, in dealing with unrelenting racism and poverty and oppression, that stand in the stead of the clarity of purpose and commitment of the past. Blake's book opens the door to a healthy discussion toward healing familial wounds and easing generational divisions so as to bring us together in a new effort to finally find freedom in America.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible! A MUST READ!, October 7, 2004

By	Sanchia Patrick "Sanchia" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a child born in the late 70's, I've often felt, in some sense, that the Movement was something in the "past tense"...something that was really (according to History Books) only associated with MLK and other "icons".

After reading Children of the Movement, I realize I was reading the gaps of my childhood history books. I was also hearing the story told from the children...the youth of the 50s/60s...the ones that essentially "gave up" their fathers and mothers for the cause.

Wow...what sacrifice...John Blake makes you look at MORE than the leaders we often hear about, but forces the reader to face how the movement affected children of the time and how the pain and loss weighs on all of us today.

The only way to ensure this perspective is HEARD is to recommend this book to an educator you know...a History professor, a Social Studies teacher...someone who can truly ensure that children today absorb this rich perspective...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading, September 22, 2004

By	Jean Shifrin (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book should be required reading for anyone from the age of 10 to 100, but particularly for those members of the last several generations who may take certain freedoms and rights for granted. For anyone who may be only slightly familiar with the struggles, sacrifices, pains and scars of those who fought for civil rights in America, Blake's book is a vital history lesson, presented in fascinating narratives that captures the reader's attention from beginning to end.
By focusing on the children of the movement, Blake gives a fresh and often unpredictable view of the civil rights movement. The extensive use of photographs was an important compliment to each and every chapter.