An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America [Paperback]

Young Andrew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1998

"With extraordinary insight and humanity, Andrew Young brings to life major campaigns of the movement and illuminates with rare honesty the key personalities on all sides and their motives. "An Easy Burden" is required reading for everyone who wants to better understand Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights movement and the ongoing struggle for social justice that continues in his name."
-- Coretta Scott King

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This eyewitness account of the civil rights movement from Andrew Young, an early adviser and colleague of Martin Luther King Jr. who went on to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, among other things, carries the force of the best history as well as the passion of someone directly involved. Like many other civil rights leaders, Young began his career as a minister; that he rose to become respected leader and statesman is in itself testimony to the progress America has made in race relations. The book includes clear-eyed portraits of King and other prominent figures such as Ralph Abernathy. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Young's inspiring and important autobiographical memoir reminds us that social transformation is possible and that the civil rights movement prevailed through the courage, vigilance and persistence of individual men and women. As a minister and moving force of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr., endured beatings and arrests and participated in historic civil rights campaigns in Birmingham, Selma and Chicago as well as the Poor People's March on Washington, D.C., in 1968. Born in New Orleans in 1932, Young rebelled against his father's insistence that he follow in his footsteps and become a dentist. Reading Gandhi led to his decision to become a preacher pursuing social change. He provides new details on the FBI's monitoring of the SCLC and of King, and gives a moving, on-the-scene account of King's assassination. Although he says little about his years as mayor of Atlanta or ambassador to the U.N., effectively ending his personal story with his 1972 election to Congress, his analysis of the interconnections among racism, poverty and a militarized economy that, he says, thwarts domestic needs makes his narrative timely and forceful. Photos.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Perennial (HarperCollins) (January 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060928905
• ISBN-13: 978-0060928902
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,840,258 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andrew Young is an American politician, diplomat, and pastor from Georgia who has served as mayor of Atlanta, a congressman, and United States ambassador to the United Nations. He also served as president of the National Council of Churches USA, and was a supporter and friend of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He lives in Atlanta, GA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting once you get past the first section, October 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: An Easy Burden: The Civil Movement and the Transformation of America (Audio Cassette)

Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta and official in the Carter White House, details his time as an assistant to Martin Luther King Jr. in this work. After some semi-interesting biographical background, we get a good view of the inside of the civil rights movement. Young shows all the conflicts within the movement and the spiritual values that kept it going in face of adversity. A very fine work on the topic for those of us who were not alive during the movement and also showing how hard it truly was on those involved. It truly made me realize how difficult it is to stand up peacefully when met with violence and oppression - numerous times I thought how poorly I would have reacted to such violence. For those who call King soft, nonintellectual, conformist, attention-seeking or weak, this book should dispel those myths.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stirring account of the civil rights movement!, November 22, 2006

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America (Hardcover)

Heard AN EASY BURDEN, written and read by Andrew Young--an
early adviser and colleague of Martin Luther King who went
to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,
among other things.

The book provides a stirring account of the civil rights movement,
starting in the 1950s . . . it got me thinking about the role not only
played by both King and Young, but by many other leaders of the
time . . . in addition, it gave me a different perspective on how hard
this must have been; i.e., to fight for change without being violent.

The author is quite candid in his views . . . just has been the case
throughout his life, he is not afraid to mince words (or opinions)
and while some may disagree with what he says or the way he says
it, you will gain an increasing respect for the man if you read AN
EASY BURDEN.

I especially enjoyed the ending:
Everything I know now convinces me that the struggle to eliminate
racism, war and poverty is a burden, but in America, with all the
freedom and opportunity afforded us under our constitution--in the
most productive society in human history--it is an easy burden if
we undertake it together.

5.0 out of 5 stars This book rules!, January 19, 2005

By 

Michael R. Nothstine (Wilmore, Ky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Easy Burden: The Civil Rights Movement and the Transformation of America (Hardcover)

An Uneasy Burden is a wonderful read. One major reason is that this autobiography is not about self praise or telling a one dimensional story. I usually do not care for most autobiographies. Young is very honest and candid, often critical of himself and some events or occurences within the Civil Rights Movement.

I really liked the spiritual themes that were so present within this book, "My Yoke is easy and my burden is light," and "For unto whomsoever much is given of them much will be required." If you are searching for purpose and growth within your life I highly reccomend this account from Young. This book made me think long and hard about what direction and what I can do for others who are in need or are hurting.

One of the most interesting things is Young's dramatic account of the march in St. Augustine and Selma. I do not agree with all of Young's politics but I have really found him to be an inspirational and genuine person. Andrew Young was a man searching for purpose, and he found purpose in life. He has a lot of spiritual insight and delivers it in an authentic narrative.