Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement from the 1950s Through the 1980s [Paperback]

Henry Hampton (Author), Steve Fayer (Author), Sarah Flynn (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0553352326 | ISBN-13: 978-0553352320 | Publication Date: February 1, 1991

In this monumental volume, Henry Hampton, creator and executive producer of the acclaimed PBS series Eyes on the Prize, and Steve Fayer, series writer, draw upon nearly one thousand interviews with civil rights activists, politicians, reporters, Justice Department officials, and hundreds of ordinary people who took part in the struggle, weaving a fascinating narrative of the civil rights movement told by the people who lived it.

Join brave and terrified youngsters walking through a jeering mob and up the steps of Central High School in Little Rock. Listen to the vivid voices of the ordinary people who manned the barricades, the laborers, the students, the housewives without whom there would have been no civil rights movements at all.

This remarkable oral history brings to life country's great struggle for civil rights as no conventional narrative can. You will hear the voices of those who defied the blackjacks, who went to jail, who witnessed and policed the movement; of those who stood for and against it—voices from the heart of America.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As the authors graphically show, participating in civil rights marches, sit-ins and Freedom Rides took moral stamina and raw nerve. The heroines and heroes of the movement receive a stirring tribute in this oral history, a tie-in to the TV series Eyes on the Prize , which Hampton produced and Fayer wrote. The book is organized in 31 chapters around key events, with demonstrators offering complementary perspectives. We hear from ordinary people along with well-known activists Ralph Abernathy, Rosa Parks, Jesse Jackson and Stokely Carmichael; public officials John Conyers and Nicholas Katzenbach; Black Panthers Huey Newton and Bobby Seale; Alex Haley, Coretta Scott King, Ossie Davis, Tom Hayden, Michael Harrington, Harry Belafonte. Collectively the testimonies reveal how far America has progressed in the drive for equality and how far it still has to go. History Book Club and QPB selections; author tour.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-- This collection of remembrances and personal anecdotes is based on 1000 interviews and records 30 years of the struggle to achieve equality and gain civil rights for black people. Ordinary people who fought to attain their civil rights are recorded here, as well as the more well-known leaders on the civil rights front. From Selma, Little Rock, King's crusades, and the Boston school busing, to Miami, Atlanta, Cassius Clay, and Affirmative Action, both blacks and whites tell how they felt during these significant moments in history. This book, a companion to the PBS series Eyes on the Prize, is a "must purchase" for black history collections. --Gwen Salama, Hastings High School, Alief, I.S.D., TX
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 720 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (February 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553352326
• ISBN-13: 978-0553352320
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #91,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is Our American History, December 11, 2006

By 

R. DelParto "Rose2" (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement from the 1950s Through the 1980s (Paperback)

VOICES OF FREEDOM: AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT FROM THE 1950S THROUGH THE 1980s shows readers the steps that were taken to achieve equal rights for African Americans and all American citizens. All of the important actors, activists, politicians, and average individuals who attempted and succeeded to change a society that had been blinded for hundreds years, are mentioned and heard who helped many American citizens to gain the respect they rightfully deserved as citizens and human beings of the United States of America, and not ambiguous written clauses of the US Constitution referring to property.

Henry Hampton and Steven Fayer along with Sarah Flynn compile a host of significant people of the civil rights era of the 1950s to 1980s. With their testimonials and eyewitness accounts they share their collective memories of the past to clarify misconceptions and misinterpretations that involved the activism that existed to spearhead the civil rights movement. They also revealed the disjointedness and lack of effort to keep the momentum going and the bureaucratic ramblings hat slowed and deadlocked the movement during the late 1960s. Key figures and activists are mentioned, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and his many cohorts who led the way toward a peaceful and non-violent movement as did the Black Panthers who were portrayed as militants, and who's history has been misconstrued with controversy. Indeed, both movements shared a common goal, which was to achieve freedom and equality.

The book begins with one of the major incidents that jump started the civil rights movement in the 1950s, the Emmett Till incidence in 1955. Other monumental events proceed, such as the discussion and explanation of Brown v. Board of Education, the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56, the Little Rock Crisis, the March on Washington in 1963 and a list of other significant events. The book ends with issue of Affirmative Action that occurred in Atlanta from 1973-1980. Thoughts come to mind while reading about these events -- some things change, and some things never stop being an issue.

The Civil Rights Movement has not gone away. Every decade in American history has had a movement led by average citizens who wanted to make a change. But books such as VOICES OF FREEDOM helps readers identify the movers and shakers of American society who helped bring the truth of freedom and democracy, which are embedded in the Declaration of Independence as well as the Constitution of the United States, as a reality. Possibly now may be a good time to revisit these voices of freedom.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure! One of the most moving books about the Movement, March 2, 2001

By 

E. Moritz - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement from the 1950s Through the 1980s (Paperback)

Starting with the murder of Emmett Till and ending with the political activism in the 80s, this book gives a moving overview of the civil rights movement. Each of the 31 chapters first gives a short summary of the events and then redraws the situation with eye-witness accounts. Many activists like Coretta Scott King, Harry Belafonte and members of the Black Panther Party, to name a few, give intriguing details. This moving book is easy to read and especially recommended for young people who need first hand information about the movement. Really recommended!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great piece of oral history, February 20, 2003

By 

Lynn Rubin (Little Neck, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Voices of Freedom: An Oral History of the Civil Rights Movement from the 1950s Through the 1980s (Paperback)

Henry Hampton and Steve Fayer have collected a small sampling of civil rights oral history that has yet to be duplicated in a modern book on the era. They have included all of the key figures involved in the movement, Dr. King and Malcolm X, along with Stokely Carmichael, John Lewis and Andrew Young. What they have also done is give readers the non-famous persons perspective on the various events surrounding the movement. This has been invaluable to me in my research and a truly enjoyable read. It should be a must read for everyone!