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The Civil Rights Movement: A Photographic History, 1954-68

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With a striking selection of images and a lively, informative text, Steven Kasher captures the danger, drama, and bravery of the civil rights movement. After an introduction explaining the significance of photography to the movement, the text in this important book proceeds from the Montgomery bus boycott through the students, local, and national movements; the big marches; Freedom summer; Malcolm X; and the death of Martin Luther King.
Each chapter begins with a fast-paced narrative of a crucial event in the movement, complemented by a portfolio of the most effective and evocative photographs of the subject. Ranging from the well known to the rare, these images were shot by such photographers as Richard Avedon, Danny Lyon, Charles Moore, Gordon Parks, Dan Weiner, and more than fifty others. Many of the pictures are accompanied by thought-provoking remembrances and analysis by various photographers and participants.

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

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5 stars
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4 stars
16 (51%)
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
15 reviews
March 20, 2022
I knew nothing of the civil rights movement. I knew about Martin Luther's King jr (MLK) speech and about Rosa Parks, But I didn't really knew about it, and only saw it as a time period in which the people who hate it are racist and every child should read about it.

And I decided to finally read about it in this book and let me tell you, there couldn't have been a better book to read about this topic. When it comes to books about civil rights, it usually is white washed, but this is truly the true, real history of the era.

What I like
I like the photographic telling of history, the civil rights movement was one in which photos and filming played the most important role, because America needed to see a narrative of true brutal racism in the south.
I like how it presence fotos of the events, it gives a new leyer of historical understanding.
I like how it tells the true story of the civil rights movement. A movement that faced alot of hate but still went on till the end, I also like how it doesn't ignore racism in the north of the United states. It also is a neutral telling of the events, but not in a objective boring way like a Wikipedia article, instead it tells the history in a very human way. Some chapters give excitement from the history alone.
Remember how they didn't ignore racism in the north, I also like how they bring up other facts about this event, like politicians different response to the movement.

What I don't like
I don't like how little it gives representation to the black power movement, it is a book bout the civil rights and I am reading about the black power movement but for someone who would only read this, it might give them oversimplified information.
I don't get why some pictures are put in the wrong events and I which some famouse photos were put in it too.
The biggest problem for me is the fact that it talk primarily about the civil right movement, and does but not too much on the pre and post civil right era. It doesn't talk about what caused the need for the movement nor it legacy and influence.

Conclusion
This was a book that had alot of people to thanks for its creation. And it was the best book I could have ever read about the history of the civil right movement. I don't know which books are white washed and if other books are better to read about this history, but as a non american, I really liked it.
28 reviews
November 29, 2023
Extensive photos of key moments in the civil rights movement. Narrative is a little superficial but it provides a concise overview.
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142 reviews19 followers
March 14, 2022
wow, this was really interesting, informative, and compelling!

it was a little bit dense and hard to understand at times, but that didn't override the important moments in history that this book covers.

4 stars
4 reviews7 followers
January 16, 2009
Though photos are arresting, there actually are a lot of words to this photographic history. Revisiting the civil rights movement, I feel humbled and provoked.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews