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Nobody Turn Me Around: A People's History of the 1963 March on Washington
Hardcover and dust jacket, as pictured; remainder mark (am)
- GenresHistory
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Charles Euchner
81 books15 followersCharles Euchner is the author or editor of eight books. He teaches writing at Yale University and was the founding executive director of the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard University.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 13, 2013
A Glorious Day
August 28, 1963, has become an iconic moment in American history. It was the day of the celebrated March on Washington and of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a Dream Speech" on the National Mall. Over 250,000 Americans of all races, creeds and walks of life came together for a moment. The specific goal was to secure enactment of Civil Rights legislation, but in King's dream of equality, freedom, and brotherhood, the March transcended that purpose.
Charles Euchner's new book, Nobody Turn Me Around: A People's History of the 1963 March on Washington" (2010) is an eloquently impressionistic history of the March. Euchner's history meanders into several byways but builds slowly to a grand climax in describing this historic day. The book discusses the historical figures involved in the March, such as Dr. King, Bayard Rustin, the organizer, Phillip Randolph, Whitney Young, Roy Willkins, Walter Reuther, John Lewis and many more. But it also tells the story of many of the people who travelled on buses, trains, cars, bikes, roller skates, and on foot to attend. Their stories will not usually be recounted in standard histories, and they deserve to be remembered.
The flow of the book moves back and forth. The scene shifts from the organization of the March in Washington D.C. and Harlem to the many communities throughout the United States that were home to the March's participants. Frequently, Euchner will introduce a character and describe that person's role, large or small in the events of the day. Then he will provide a biography or other brief history of that person showing how he or she became involved with the Civil Rights movement and made the decision to participate in the March. The story gains force as it unfolds. Bayard Rustin, the brilliantly gifted but troubled organizer of the March, receives the attention he merits.
Much of the book shows how the six leading Civil Rights organizations of the day, together with four other groups making up "The Ten" put aside their differences in philosophy and goals to come together for the March. The organizers had to scale down their expectations and their militancy in some cases to work together and to appeal to the broad spectrum of Americans who had no strong views on Civil Rights. Initial plans, which included marching on Congress and sit-ins were scaled back to include only the roughly one mile March on the Mall and the day of speeches and songs. The organizers of the March worked with the Kennedy administration, but they ultimately carried and presented their own vision.
With its history of the era, the book essentially makes a chronological presentation of the day, from the arrival of the buses and marchers, to the gathering on the Mall, the March, and the speakers. Each speaker at the event gets a biography and description which sometimes disrupts the flow of the narrative. John Lewis' fiery speech, which was reluctantly toned down to avoid antagonizing the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. receives substantial attention. Euchner's descriptions of two different types of singers, Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson, and their performances on the Mall was highly moving, as was the discussion of the speech of Rabbi Jacob Printz, who had fled from Nazi Germany and immediately proceeded Dr. King on the podium. Dr. King's unforgettable speech is the climax of this book, as it was of the March, and is described in detail.
With the passage of time, the March on Washington has become a symbol of the possibilities and hope of American life. It provided a rare moment of peace, vision, unity, and the quest for justice. Readers who want to learn about the March and the Dream will enjoy this new history of the 1963 March on Washington.
Robin Friedman
August 28, 1963, has become an iconic moment in American history. It was the day of the celebrated March on Washington and of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a Dream Speech" on the National Mall. Over 250,000 Americans of all races, creeds and walks of life came together for a moment. The specific goal was to secure enactment of Civil Rights legislation, but in King's dream of equality, freedom, and brotherhood, the March transcended that purpose.
Charles Euchner's new book, Nobody Turn Me Around: A People's History of the 1963 March on Washington" (2010) is an eloquently impressionistic history of the March. Euchner's history meanders into several byways but builds slowly to a grand climax in describing this historic day. The book discusses the historical figures involved in the March, such as Dr. King, Bayard Rustin, the organizer, Phillip Randolph, Whitney Young, Roy Willkins, Walter Reuther, John Lewis and many more. But it also tells the story of many of the people who travelled on buses, trains, cars, bikes, roller skates, and on foot to attend. Their stories will not usually be recounted in standard histories, and they deserve to be remembered.
The flow of the book moves back and forth. The scene shifts from the organization of the March in Washington D.C. and Harlem to the many communities throughout the United States that were home to the March's participants. Frequently, Euchner will introduce a character and describe that person's role, large or small in the events of the day. Then he will provide a biography or other brief history of that person showing how he or she became involved with the Civil Rights movement and made the decision to participate in the March. The story gains force as it unfolds. Bayard Rustin, the brilliantly gifted but troubled organizer of the March, receives the attention he merits.
Much of the book shows how the six leading Civil Rights organizations of the day, together with four other groups making up "The Ten" put aside their differences in philosophy and goals to come together for the March. The organizers had to scale down their expectations and their militancy in some cases to work together and to appeal to the broad spectrum of Americans who had no strong views on Civil Rights. Initial plans, which included marching on Congress and sit-ins were scaled back to include only the roughly one mile March on the Mall and the day of speeches and songs. The organizers of the March worked with the Kennedy administration, but they ultimately carried and presented their own vision.
With its history of the era, the book essentially makes a chronological presentation of the day, from the arrival of the buses and marchers, to the gathering on the Mall, the March, and the speakers. Each speaker at the event gets a biography and description which sometimes disrupts the flow of the narrative. John Lewis' fiery speech, which was reluctantly toned down to avoid antagonizing the Archbishop of Washington, D.C. receives substantial attention. Euchner's descriptions of two different types of singers, Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson, and their performances on the Mall was highly moving, as was the discussion of the speech of Rabbi Jacob Printz, who had fled from Nazi Germany and immediately proceeded Dr. King on the podium. Dr. King's unforgettable speech is the climax of this book, as it was of the March, and is described in detail.
With the passage of time, the March on Washington has become a symbol of the possibilities and hope of American life. It provided a rare moment of peace, vision, unity, and the quest for justice. Readers who want to learn about the March and the Dream will enjoy this new history of the 1963 March on Washington.
Robin Friedman
Read
July 18, 2011We all know of the March of 1963 in Washington D.C., but it was the first time for me to learn that so many other people, besides Martin Luther King, played indepensible roles in the preparation of the historic march in the history of the United States fighting for civil rights for African Americans and tackle head-on the problems of racism and discrimination. These people include, but not limited to, Philip Rahdolph, John Lewis, Bayard Rustin, Rachelle Horowitz, Walter Reuther, Whitney Young, Rabbi Joachim Prinz, etc. The March was scheduled as the centennial event to commemorate the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The book challenges us to reconsider the role of a citizen. "When enough people refuse to abide by unjust law, these laws crumble. All regimes - royal, authoritarian, theocratic, democratic - maintain power only when people submit to that power. when they withdraw their consent, regimes need to change the rules or give up power."
April 19, 2011
I enjoyed this book, but it seemed to ramble a bit and didn't follow any kind of structure or timeline. That being said, it was still a fascinating look behind the scenes of the March on Washington. I learned a lot!
January 3, 2012
For anyone who thought the March on Washington was mostly about MLK's "I Have A Dream" speech. This book reinvigorates our understanding of the March and it's importance in American history.
Read
April 9, 2013A wonderful history of possibly the seminal event in America of the late 20th century.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews