Speak Now Against The Day: The Generation Before the Civil Rights Movement in the South

by John Egerton

Speak Now Against the Day is the astonishing, little-known story of the Southerners who, in the generation before the Supreme Court outlawed school segregation and before Rosa Parks refused to surrender her seat on a Montgomery bus, challenged the validity of a white ruling class and a “separate but equal” division of the races.
 
The voices of the dissenters,  although present throughout the South’s troubled history, grew louder with Roosevelt’s election in 1932. An increasing number of men and women who grappled daily with the economic and social woes of the South began forcefully and courageously to speak and to work toward the day when the South—and the nation—would deliver on the historic promises in the country’s founding documents. This is the story of those brave prophets—thhe ministers, writers, educators, journalists, social activists, union members, and politicians, black and white, who pointed the way to higher ground.
 
Published forty years after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling of the Supreme Court, this compelling book is not only a rich trove of forgotten history—it also speaks profoundly to us in the context of today’s continuing racial and social conflict.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Race, Historical, Southern

1127 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Mary McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Egerton's definitive work on progressive Southerners, both black and white, who battled social injustice and discrimination in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s is an exhausting read, but also one of the most important books I've ever read.

It took me about three weeks to finish the 600-page book, which is laden with hundreds of activists, writers, politicians, and academics, so much so that even major players like NAACP leader Walter White are Alabama Senator and Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black receive only a few pages of sustained coverage.

However, it's a book that will introduce you to the most fascinating people you've never heard of, and the best books you've never read. Atlanta journalist Ralph McGill who over a quarter of a century moved from southern patrician to one of the leading voices in the fight against Jim Crow. Frank Porter Graham, who managed to turn the University of North Carolina into a progressive, top-tier institution for the humanities and social sciences. A. Phillip Randolph, the shrewd, tireless, and influential leader of the nation's largest black union.

The books? Killers of the Dream, The Mind of the South, and What the Negro Wants are now at the top of my to-read list.

There are few uncomplicated heroes to be found here, and many disappointments and missed chances. It's heartbreaking from the vantage point of a 21st century reader to see all the ways that things could have turned out otherwise. Had the integrated, progressive Southern organizations of this era banded together with the singleness of purpose shared by the White Citizens' Councils and anti-segregation politicians who terrorized them in the 50s and 60s, the civil rights movement might have looked very different.

[James]

I have actually read this book before, but I think it's amazing, and since I'm reading about MLK, it seemed smart the be able to make the connections between the civil rights movement and the pre-civil rights South.

[Francis Telegadas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book on Civil rights in the 30s up through the Brown v Bd of Education decision. Covers economic, political, and social issues during this time and the fits and starts of the early attempts to find some ability to dismantle Jim Crow laws and the effects of discrimination by some very brave people. The only reason it is not a 5 star rating is that the book covers some of the same ground multiple times and got a little repetitive. But it is very well written - just could have used a little bit more editing.

[Ted Mccormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

A history of Southern progressive/liberal efforts to eliminate segregation in the South between FDR's first election and the Supreme Court's Brown decision. Very detailed.

[Sam Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well written and in-depth text on the period it's surveying, and help understand what the structural factors where that forestalled Civil Rights for so long.

[Aaron Boer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long and dense, but the best and most comprehensive of the handful of books on this all-too overlooked subject. Egerton was in his bag.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm starting a new category of "books I want to finish, but they need to go back to the library". I'm moving and as much as I want to finish this book, I know I'm not going to before I leave town, so it's on the list for the first library expedition at the other library once I'm moved.

ETA: I've finished the book and it's quite good. It's very wide ranging and ties together a number of threads of Southern culture to explore what happened in the generation prior to the "official" Civil Rights Movement. However, my main criticism is also connected to its breadth- it's a sizable book and by the end, I was mostly just skimming because it gets a little bogged down in detail. I'd still recommend it, because I did learn a lot about early-mid 20th century in the South and about Civil Rights efforts prior to Brown v Board, but I almost think it would have been better as two volumes.

[Mavis Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good to read this book just after the 2016 presidential election, as it gave a longer perspective on the post-1900 struggles of this nation with racism and left-right political factions. I knew John Egerton years ago, as a good writer and a nice person. Reading this book for the first time, I was impressed with his ability to synthesize such a huge amount of information in a readable manner. The book is long; I had to mark out a few whole days to finish reading it.

[Johanna]

I'm giving up on this one. It's really well written, but I am not in a good position at the moment to really delve into a 600+ page nonfiction tome. Maybe I'll return to it in the future.