Children of the Movement

by John K. Blake

Profiling 24 of the adult children of the most recognizable figures in the civil rights movement, this book collects the intimate, moving stories of families who were pulled apart by the horrors of the struggle or brought together by their efforts to change America. The whole range of players is covered, from the children of leading figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and martyrs like James Earl Chaney to segregationists like George Wallace and Black Panther leaders like Elaine Brown. The essays reveal that some children are more pessimistic than their parents, whose idealism they saw destroyed by the struggle, while others are still trying to change the world. Included are such inspiring stories as the daughter of a notoriously racist Southern governor who finds her calling as a teacher in an all-black inner-city school and the daughter of a famous martyr who unexpectedly meets her mother’s killer. From the first activists killed by racist Southerners to the current global justice protestors carrying on the work of their parents, these profiles offer a look behind the public face of the triumphant civil rights movement and show the individual lives it changed in surprising ways.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

John K. Blake is a journalist with cnn.com.

Reviews

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this as research for my novel but it’s become very topical over the past couple of days. I haven’t read about the civil rights movement since school and this was a really easy way to get back into this period of history. It has interviews with the children of people like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and with Naomi Klein.

It’s interesting to see how some children were pretty much abandoned by their fathers in favour of their causes and others followed in their parents’ footsteps.

There are lots of stories I hadn’t heard and it’s a reminder of the protests that happened and the groups that still exist today.

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the book didn't age very well and there are blatant spelling errors (their instead of they're and you're instead of your), it is a wonderful conglomeration of the stories of those who seemed to have been forgotten.

[Lindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compelling, if dated, updates on the grown children of civil rights activists.

[Ebony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished as much of Children of the Movement that I’m going to read. Even though I didn’t read about everyone’s kids it really is a great book that convicted me for wanting the movement to remain fresh past its due date (kinda like those eggs in the fridge). My first reaction was to shake my head and wonder why so many of the children of the movement weren’t doing better. The more I read, the more I realized that most of these children didn’t even have an opportunity to be parented—either their parents were physically or emotionally absent because we took them—the movement took them, America’s hopes and dreams took them away from their families. Sure, they had choices but somebody had to be committed to our nation’s promise, right? Even if it didn’t materialize, someone had to try. Right? I thought the Moses story was the most encouraging. He chose to leave the movement so that he could have an family and he seems to be reaping family rewards. He has a functional relationship with his daughter. I was surprised at how many kids didn’t even know how important their parents were. I was disappointed at how many seemed to be underachieving. I was angry at the segregationist’s children who kept making apology after apology without making amends. It’s a reflective story about our society, memory, and legacy. Blake writes well and doesn’t get in the way of the narratives. He lets them tell their own stories.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Blake is a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where he has covered commemorations of many Civil Rights events on various anniversaries and days of remembrance. Tired of hearing the same speeches he went in search of telling the story from a different angle.

This book focuses on the children of some of the most well known names of the Civil Rights movement. What were their parents really like? How did their parents' involvement in the movement affect them as children and now as adults? To some of these children, their parents were strangers, while others have very fond memories, while others didn't even know about their parents' involvement until hearing about them in history classes. Some have tried to distance themselves from parental legacies, some have tried to cash in, and others are inspired to make differences of their own. Blake interviews the children of Civil Rights leaders, martyrs, and avid segregationists.

This was an amazing book, a little dated, but still incredibly relevant.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was almost worth 5 stars. I really enjoyed learning about the civil rights movement through this new angle, seeing the leaders through the eyes of their children. I also enjoyed learning more about the "villians" of that time through the same lens, and seeing how their children have dealt with the decisions of their fathers. What stopped this book from gettinf 5 stars? The last three stories. These stories were written about people now protesting for economic justice, with parents who were protesters, but with little to no connection to the Civil Rights Movement... I feel like the author just wanted to "sell" to us that we shoild join another movement, and frankly I found that offensive.

[Anya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating compilation of stories, insight, and interviews with the children of notable leaders from the Civil Rights Movement. This book adds to the narrative and history, giving readers a perspective that really hasn't been shared before. This book gives insight into the lives of the children--in turning giving deeper insight into the notable leaders as humans and parents in their eyes of their children.