Atlanta and the Civil Rights Movement: 1944-1968

Images of America

by Karcheik Sims-Alvarado

Since Reconstruction, African Americans have served as key protagonists in the rich and expansive narrative of American social protest. Their collective efforts challenged and redefined the meaning of freedom as a social contract in America. During the first half of the 20th century, a progressive group of black business, civic, and religious leaders from Atlanta, Georgia, challenged the status quo by employing a method of incremental gradualism to improve the social and political conditions existent within the city. By the mid-20th century, a younger generation of activists emerged, seeking a more direct and radical approach towards exercising their rights as full citizens. A culmination of the death of Emmett Till and the Brown decision fostered this paradigm shift by bringing attention to the safety and educational concerns specific to African American youth. Deploying direct-action tactics and invoking the language of civil and human rights, the energy and zest of this generation of activists pushed the modern civil rights movement into a new chapter where young men and women became the voice of social unrest.

128 pages, Paperback

Published February 13, 2017

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great addition to this series; however, it left me wanting additional photographer or archive credit on most photos. You will find great portraits, images, and subjects including Dr. King, John Lewis, Julian Bond, Ella Baker, Hamilton Holmes, Charlayne Hunter, Constance Baker Motley, Grace Towns Hamilton, and many more. My favorite photo reproduced here is a news conference with Ella Baker speaking seriously with actress Ruby Dee looking seriously at her, alongside.
On the opposite side, images of counter-protest from KKK members, Lester Maddox, et. al. still have power to shock.
Recommended.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pictorial history of the Black Civil Rights Movement from its epicenter in Atlanta. The many black and white photographs tell the story.