Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968 (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Charles Johnson (Introduction), John Lewis (Afterword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The direct action social protest movement of the 1950s and 1960s resulted in sit-ins, marches, and other showdowns with armed police officers and National Guardsmen. Trained in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s methods of nonviolence, young black men and women took to the streets to fight for their civil rights and sparked a social revolution unlike anything the nation had experienced. Thousands of acts of courage were undertaken in the pursuit of freedom -- acts that were often photographed, leaving behind a disquieting visual record of this violent and tumultuous period in American history.

Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968 is the most significant exhibition of civil rights photographs presented in an art musuem in more than twenty years. These images were taken by many photographers--photojournalists, artists, movement photographers, and amateurs alike -- all of whom seem to have had a keen understanding of the significance of their subject. This publication presents a narrative of some of the key moments of the civil rights movement, including the Freedom Rides of 1961, the Birmingham hosings of 1963, and the Selma to Montgomery March of 1965. These are the unforgettable images that helped to change the nation, increasing the momentum of the nonviolent movement by dramatically raising awareness of injustice and the struggle for equality.

About the Author

Julian Cox is curator of photography at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta. Charles Johnson's most recent fiction publication is Dr. King's Refrigerator and Other Bedtime Stories. He is the S. Wilson and Grace M. Pollock Professor of Writing at the University of Washington. John Lewis is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and was a leader in the American civil rights movement.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 159 pages
• Publisher: High Museum of Art (June 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932543236
• ISBN-13: 978-1932543230
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #508,709 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The story of the movement is told through poignant black and white photographs, September 4, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

One of the most tumultuous and chaotic times in American history was the era of the Civil Rights Movement. "Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement 1956-1968" is a photographic history of this time when people were willing to go into the streets to protest a then racist government and society. The story of the movement is told through poignant black and white photographs, making "Road to Freedom" a good coffee table book for those who feel strongly about the movement, and for community library collections focusing on books of photography.