Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement

by Janet Dewart Bell

A groundbreaking collection based on oral histories that brilliantly plumb the leadership of African American women in the twentieth-century fight for civil rights—many nearly lost to history—from the latest winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Prize

During the Civil Rights Movement, African American women were generally not in the headlines; they simply did the work that needed to be done. Yet despite their significant contributions at all levels of the movement, they remain mostly invisible to the larger public. Beyond Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Dorothy Height, most Americans, black and white alike, would be hard-pressed to name other leaders at the community, local, and national levels.

In Lighting the Fires of Freedom Janet Dewart Bell shines a light on women’s all-too-often overlooked achievements in the Movement. Through wide-ranging conversations with nine women, several now in their nineties with decades of untold stories, we hear what ignited and fueled their activism, as Bell vividly captures their inspiring voices. Lighting the Fires of Freedom offers these deeply personal and intimate accounts of extraordinary struggles for justice that resulted in profound social change, stories that remain important and relevant today.

Published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, Lighting the Fires of Freedom is a vital document for understanding the Civil Rights Movement and an enduring testament to the vitality of women’s leadership during one of the most dramatic periods of American history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Race, Feminism, African American, Politics, Social Justice

240 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2018

About the author

Janet Dewart Bell is a social justice activist with a doctorate in leadership and change from Antioch University. She founded the Derrick Bell Lecture on Race in American Society series at the New York University School of Law in honor of her late husband and is the author of Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement (The New Press). An award-winning television and radio producer, she lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fifty years ago the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was signed into law.

Most know the name, legacy, and speeches of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King.

And most have heard of his wife Coretta Scott King and activist Rosa Parks. But what about the countless other women involved with the Civil Rights Movement? Those who did the grunt work, who put their lives on the line, who strove to achieve what the culture said they could not do?

When I made my quilt I Will Lift My Voice Like a Trumpet I was inspired by the Abolitionists and Civil Rights who I encountered in reading Freedom's Daughters by Lynne Olson. My embroidered quilt includes an image and quote from women who made a difference but are not well known. The quilt appeared in several American Quilt Society juried shows.

When I saw Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women and the Civil Rights Movement by Janet Dewart Bell on NetGalley I quickly requested it. I was interested in meeting more of these courageous, but lesser-known women.

The author interviewed and collected oral histories of nine women for this book:

Leah Chase, whose restaurant was a meeting place for organizers, was a collector of African American art and was commemorated by Pope Benedict XVI for her service.
Dr. June Jackson Christmas broke race barriers to gain admittance to Vassar, spoke out against the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, was the only black female student in her medical school class, and fought housing discrimination to change New York City Law.
Aileen Hernandez became an activist at Howard University in the 1940s, was the first female and black to serve on the EEOC in 1964, and was the first African American president of NOW.
Diane Nash chaired the Nashville Sit-In Movement and coordinated important Freedom Rides.
Judy Richardson joined the Students for a Democratic Society at Swarthmore College before leaving to join SNCC. She founded a bookstore and press for publishing and promoting black literature and was an associate producer for the acclaimed PBS series Eyes on the Prize.
Kathleen Cleaver was active in SNCC, the Black Power Movement, the Black Panthers, and the Revolutionary People's Communication Network.
Gay McDougall was the first to integrate Agnes Scott College; she worked for international human rights and was recognized with a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.
Gloria Richardson was an older adult during the movement, with a militant edge; Ebony magazine called her the Lady General of Civil Rights.
Myrlie Evers's husband Medgar was the first NAACP field secretary in Mississippi. She was officially a secretary, but she 'did everything' and later championed gender equality.

I was familiar with Diane Nash, who appears on my quilt. I only knew Myrlie Evers-Williams by association to her martyred husband Medgar.

For me, Evers' statement was most moving, revealing more about her emotional life and feelings. Her husband Medgar, a war veteran, was the first African American to apply to Ole Miss when he was recruited to work for the NAACP.

Myrlie organized events, researched for speeches, and even wrote some speeches while raising their family and welcoming visitors such as Thurgood Marshall to her home for dinner. It was a lot for a young woman. She is quoted as saying,

"It was an exciting but frightening time, because you stared at death every day...But there was always hope, and there were always people who surrounded you to give you a sense of purpose."

Medgar knew he was a target and encouraged her to believe in her strength.

After her husband was murdered in front of their own home, the NAACP would call on her to rally support and raise money, with no compensation. Meanwhile, she felt anger and outrage at what had happened. Medgar had dreamt about relocating to California some day, so Myrlie and her children moved.

Thinking back on the movement, Myrlie recognizes the struggle women had to be recognized for their work. And she bristles at being pigeonholed as Medgar's widow instead of being recognized for her accomplishments. It is wonderful that Myrlie was asked to deliver the prayer before President Obama's inaugural address.

Faith and trust and believe she ends, possibilities await. Be open. Be adventurous. Have a little fun.

That is good advice to us all. But coming from a woman whose husband made the ultimate sacrifice, it is an affirmation of great importance.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

[Glenda Nelms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ground breaking and fascinating black women featured in this powerful book. These black women overcame odds and fought for social justice & equality. Published in 2018, This book coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. It focuses on nine unsung heroines of the Civil Rights Movement, who achievements were often overlooked. Their stories move from individual acts of resistance to transformational leadership. They helped construct the cultural architecture for change. They answered the call for freedom, showing courage, commitment, and passion.

[Joshua Greer · Rating 4 out of 5]

So many great women in this book! I really appreciated that you felt like you were hearing directly from them. So much history. This book really provided a widespread look at the different parts of the movement.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of interviews, a worthy project, and an interesting read.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this book sheds light on strong black women who fought for social justice and in their own way, contributed to the civil rights movement in America. These are women whose stories we've barely heard of, yet they exude such strength, wisdom and character. Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest take on it. There's nothing as exhilarating as knowing more about history and those who shaped it.

[Alison Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bad ass women in history who deserved a million times more recognition than they got" is a genre I enjoy.

I was fairly familiar with a few of the women featured here, but only marginally so with the others, so it was great to learn more about them and their work and activism. Much of the historical and contemporary writings about the Civil Rights Movement focuses nearly entirely on men (and only a few of those men, at that)...because patriarchy. And of course, being Black women, these ladies were hit with the double whammy of misogynoir. I'm so glad this book gave them a platform to speak to modern audiences about their truths.

I do wish this had been kept in interview format, rather than shaped into first-person essays, because sometimes the writing seemed to be a bit haphazard, going from here to there and doubling back. With a Q&A style, I think it would have made it a bit clearer and given a better structure to the pieces. And I admit I'm a bit sore that Diane Nash, my freaking shero, has the shortest section in the book when she was a hugely crucial and extremely active figure in the CRM.

But this is a very valuable read, one that I think pretty much everyone will learn something from, and these women have had lives that deserve to be honored.

[Avery · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received a copy in a Goodreads giveaway

I had I hopes for this book. I love female centered history and can admit that I never really gave the experiences and voices of women in the Civil Rights Movement much thought.

This is a primary source book and I what I would have preferred is something more akin to a secondary source where Bell examined female participation during the era. As a primary source I found it to be just okay. Not all the women had as equally impactful sections of the book. If all the women were like Myrlie Evers-Williams and Kathleen Cleaver's portions I would have enjoyed the book because they contributed a lot in terms of their perspective on Civil Rights Movement. Not all the women featured had stories of similar weight.

In her introduction I wish Bell had spent some time explaining why she choice these women and what the interview process was like. It is a small thing, but definitely something I would have enjoyed knowing. If teaching a course of the civil rights movement to a younger audience I can see this being a different kind of source to pull from but I don't think it did much to further my understanding of the Civil Rights Movement.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly appreciate this author’s purpose and the very considered, deliberate decisions she made with this book. I loved getting to know these trailblazing women! After watching an interview with the author, I understand her choice to not edit the interviews and leave them in the voices of the subjects. However, for me personally, it made each story a little clunky and repetitive. Still worth reading! 4 stars

[Kandace Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about some of the figures that aren’t known as well. It can be easy to just care about the well-known people, while forgetting that the movement required many people in order for there to be progress. This book encouraged me so much. It made me think of Newton’s quote “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.”

[Lexi Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book if you are unfamiliar with these remarkable women.

[T.L. Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement by Janet Dewart Bell highlights how often women get written out of the collective history with this collection of mini-memoirs about women instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement. I've read many books over the past several years that have forced me to think about my history classes in a new way. As I read these women's stories told from each woman's perspective, I found some stories easier to read than others. Some stories were emotional. Some were more analytical. All provide insight into lives I can only understand through their stories. I saw places where I related and others where I couldn't relate at all. These women's stories exemplified courage, determination, intelligence, and a willingness to work hard without seeking glory. I wanted more. I wanted to know more about each one. I wanted each of these women to receive the recognition they deserve on a larger scale. I wanted to know what other women were left out of the story. I wanted to ask every history teacher I've ever had, "Where were the women when you taught me history?" That's the power of a well-written book of engaging stories. It not only provides information and perspectives one might not have otherwise entertained but pushes one to ask questions. I couldn't get enough of Lighting the Fires of Freedom and didn't want it to end. Lighting the Fires of Freedom lit a fire in my heart and mind pushing me to question the holes in history that might just provide a more inclusive, well-rounded, honest narrative if filled.

[Cordell Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I purchased this book and began reading it for a research paper about the impact of African American Women during the Civil Rights Movement. It was a really insightful read. I enjoyed reading the interviews with each woman. I particularly enjoyed learning about Leah Chase and her restaurant in New Orleans. She was actually the inspiration for Princess Tiana in Disney's Princess and the Frog! How cool is that! I definitely recommend reading this book if you are interested in the Civil Rights Movement!

[Shequita Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic, inspiring read! At first I saw it as a way to learn about black women whose stories and contributions to the Civil Rights Movement had been omitted from the historical record. And the book definitely helps to fill that void. But I quickly realized that even those women whose names we recognize-- i.e., Diane Nash, Kathleen Cleaver and Myrlie Evers-- had unique personal stories that we just never hear about. Reading about Evers' momentary desire for vengeance against her husband's assassination and her struggle for a voice and real power within the CRM & N.A.A.C.P. is humanizing (vs. the "Medgar Evers' widow" framing she usually received) and as well, shows how foundational Evers is to our understanding of post-3rd wave U.S. feminism. Diane Nash's work with the Student Central Committee, a local Nashville organizing committee that worked on a consensus model, was also eye-opening because we know her largely as a leader in the Nashville Sit In Movement and the Freedom Rides. The internationalism of Kathleen Cleaver's upbringing was a revelation! Those women whose names we likely have never heard at all-- restaurant owner Barbara Chase, union and political organizer Aileen Hernandez, mental health commissioner Dr. June Jackson Christmas, CRM activists Judy Richardson and Gloria Richardson & antiapartheid and human rights activist Gay McDougall-- are all deserving of book-length biographies in their own right. This was clearly a labor of love for Dewart Bell but also the product of hard work and intense respect for her subjects.

[TammyJo Eckhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among all the "important" people books I've been reading in the past couple of years, most are mini-biographies. This book standards out not because of the subject but because of the format: 9 interviews with women who were active if not widely known as leaders in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1940-70s and beyond. Except for a brief introduction to each activist, the text is entirely their own words making this a wonderful source of any scholar, professional or lay.

Each interview had accompany photographs at the beginning, before the introduction, and at the end. This gives us a face to put with the words certainly but when women of color are made invisible by the dominant culture it is also an empowering act. A few extra photos would have been a big bonus but compared to many of these types of books I've been getting to review, these are important and rare.

Most interviews list a date and a format label - face-to-face or telephone for example -- but not all of them and that is a criticism because how an interview is conducted can impact the information gathered. Similarly we get the the recollections broken up by section headers but none of the questions that would at the very least need to start off such conversations. Questions impract answers, how the interviewer reacts impacts further sharing, so these are details that I as a historian want to know.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book showcases the strong African American Women that worked so hard during the Civil Rights Movement It is sad that until I read this book, I did not know anything about these fierce women. Kudos to the author for bringing this book to us for our knowledge. A wonderful tribute to these strong women during a very trying time. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does a wonderful job of shining the light on nine different women in the Civil Rights movement who helped change the course of history. Dr. June Christmas, one of the women featured in this book, said, "I learned from all this that the civil rights movement starts early and it starts in the home, and people have a different way of being a part of it." Each of these women played a different part in the movement and did not allow fear to stand in the way of doing what was right or what was hard. They did extraordinary things with the gifts they had. A beautiful read.

[Rebecca Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a primary source for a research paper, this is great. These women explain in their own words their feelings about the movement and their place in it. Alternatively, they explain it in their own words. Which can be slow or circular at times. While I admire an oral history as much as the next person, for my own casual reading, I would prefer something that does the interpretation for me.

[Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, detailed, inspirational account of the "She-roes" of the U.S. Civil Rights movement. Some well known, others not so much, yet all pivotal to the effectiveness of the perseverance, faith, hard work & continuing activism to insure freedom, justice & equality for African Americans, indeed for all people.

[Joseph Marciniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book from the perspective of 9 women who deserve considerably more recognition for their work in the civil rights movement. Though at times a little hard to understand, as the book is mostly transcripts from interviews, it paints a picture of women hungry for freedoms and rights unfairly denied. A joy to read.

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible book! It explores different African American Women in The Civil Rights Movement, and each segment had me wanting to learn more about all of them. 2018 Reading Women Challenge - A book by an African American Woman about Civil Rights

[M. Zimmerschied · Rating 4 out of 5]

I teach high school history and was hoping to find inspiration and more information for the civil rights unit. This book met both requirements. These stories have been untold fir too long. Lighting the Fires of Freedom is proof that it is the ordinary person who can change the world.

[Shannan Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally. A book about some of the women that were an integral part of the civil rights movement. It's about time they got the recognition they so richly deserve.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. Not sure what I expected. But a good history lesson. Wanted some interviews to be longer and others shorter but oh well

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please see my review on Amazon.com under C.Wong. Thank you.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting to hear, direct from the interviewee/subject/activist/leaders, what they thought of their role, their activism, how they got there, where it was situated in history... Recommend.

[Ann Lolita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome stories of brave faithful women fir their cause!!

[LauraSue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book.

[Eric Bottorff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful work of oral history, and a solid contribution to the literature on women in the civil rights and black freedom movement.

[Mario · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, insightful collection of oral histories by a collection of remarkable women who helped push for social justice during the civil rights movement. Couldn't put the book down

[Kristen Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️