Mitchell,
Don. Freedom
Summer Murders. Scholastic Press 2014 250p $18.99 ISBN 978-0-545-47725-3 hs/adult History VG-BN
“When historians weigh the sixth decade
of the twentieth century in the United States, they will call this murder one
of the revealing acts of the decade. it
was a planned, deliberate murder to try to prevent racial change; and it was
committed by men who called themselves Christians and thought they were doing
right.” -- William Bradford Huie
It would be very difficult to present a completely unbiased version of the events that took place in Mississippi in the summer of 1964. To offer an unvarnished presentation of the events, it is not possible to avoid descriptions of racism, violence, and bigotry. The sensational murders of three young men, all civil-rights workers struggling to get blacks registered to vote, by the Ku Klux Klan, and the resulting cover-up by local authorities, are tragedies. Don Mitchell’s writing reveals careful research and helps readers to see the victims as people, rather than footnotes in history. The inclusion of archival photographs and commentary of family members further supports the text’s authenticity.
Having comprehensively chronicled a dark page in American history, Mitchell leaves the reader with a message of hope. He reminds readers that even if the wheels of justice move slowly, they move inexorably towards truth.
It would be very difficult to present a completely unbiased version of the events that took place in Mississippi in the summer of 1964. To offer an unvarnished presentation of the events, it is not possible to avoid descriptions of racism, violence, and bigotry. The sensational murders of three young men, all civil-rights workers struggling to get blacks registered to vote, by the Ku Klux Klan, and the resulting cover-up by local authorities, are tragedies. Don Mitchell’s writing reveals careful research and helps readers to see the victims as people, rather than footnotes in history. The inclusion of archival photographs and commentary of family members further supports the text’s authenticity.
Having comprehensively chronicled a dark page in American history, Mitchell leaves the reader with a message of hope. He reminds readers that even if the wheels of justice move slowly, they move inexorably towards truth.
Summary: Mitchell reviews the brutal murders of three men killed by the Ku
Klux Klan in June 1964.
Civil Rights
Movement, Racial violence --Hilary
Welliver
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