Civil Rights History from the Ground Up: Local Struggles, A National Movement is a collection of scholarly essays that illustrate the critical role local-level organizing played during the civil rights movement. Edited by Emilye Crosby, the essays weave oral history and activist accounts with traditional sources to compel students and general readers to rethink who and what were important to the African American freedom struggle.
The collection covers a broad timeframe—from the movement during the 60s to the present—and examines locales, incidents, and events that remain invisible in traditional narratives on the movement.
The essays explore such debates as nonviolence and self-defense, the implications of focusing on women in the movement, and struggles for freedom beyond voting rights and school desegregation.
“[This book] provides an insightful look at many of the crucial issues central to teaching and studying the movement, bringing to life why we must have a history that takes seriously the people at the heart of the movement. Engaging and accessible for non-specialists and thought-provoking for scholars, this well-written, feisty book offers cutting edge historiography, tools for teachers, and insights for all of us. It is a must read for anyone interested in the freedom struggle and in a just, democratic society.” —Julian Bond, founding member of SNCC and former chair of the NAACP