Selma to Saigon: The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War

Civil Rights and the Struggle for Black Equality in the Twentieth Century

by Daniel S. Lucks

The civil rights and anti–Vietnam War movements were the two greatest protests of twentieth-century America. The dramatic escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam in 1965 took precedence over civil rights legislation, which had dominated White House and congressional attention during the first half of the decade. The two issues became intertwined on January 6, 1966, when the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) became the first civil rights organization to formally oppose the war, protesting the injustice of drafting African Americans to fight for the freedom of the South Vietnamese people when they were still denied basic freedoms at home.

Selma to Saigon explores the impact of the Vietnam War on the national civil rights movement. Before the war gained widespread attention, the New Left, the SNCC, and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) worked together to create a biracial alliance with the potential to make significant political and social gains in Washington. Contention over the war, however, exacerbated preexisting generational and ideological tensions that undermined the coalition, and Lucks analyzes the causes and consequences of this disintegration.

This powerful narrative illuminates the effects of the Vietnam War on the lives of leaders such as Whitney Young Jr., Stokely Carmichael, Roy Wilkins, Bayard Rustin, and Martin Luther King Jr., as well as other activists who faced the threat of the military draft along with race-related discrimination and violence. Providing new insights into the evolution of the civil rights movement, this book fills a significant gap in the literature about one of the most tumultuous periods in American history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

394 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Craig Werner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent synthetic history triangulating between the civil rights movement as it moves from the Cold War to Black Power and the deepening nightmare of Vietnam. Particularly good tracking the development of Martin Luther King's response to the war; there's a tendency to freeze his pacifism but Lucks does a good job demonstrating how its contours shifted in response to intellectual inputs and external events.

[Richard Janzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Been waiting for a while to read this one. Been fascinated for a long time about the intersection of the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war. This is a very thorough study of the topic. It was a bit more scholarly than I expected, evidenced by the 100 pages of notes and bibliography. So although the book is wonderful and meets its goals, I probably would've benefited from something slightly more "readable". Recommend this book highly for those interested in the topic.

[Ethan R · Rating 2 out of 5]

DENSE. A very dense book, that seems incredibly poorly edited. The book absolutely would have benefited from having an extra 100 pages to have some breathing room, along with being edited to read more like an actual book, rather than just a collection of essays.

The overarching messages are very clear, and the chapters focused on MLK Jr are a strong highlight. Overall though, this was a difficult read I can't fully recommend to people.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fine tribute, revelation, lamentation, and healing witness to two turbulent movements -- Civil Rights and AntiWar against Vietnam. In this project Daniel Lucks has made a powerful contribution as a justice-seeking patriot and scholar. While I found myself stricken (as in heartsick) and enraged by the consequences of the Vietnam War on the Civil Rights Movement, this remarkable work left me feeling grateful, stirred, and enriched. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and full of factual and detailed information about this volatile period of our history.