Includes bibliographical references (pages 183-185) and index.
Contents:
The American public library meets the Civil Rights Movement -- Mississippi: the people without books -- We are afraid: the Freedom Libraries -- White backlash: 35 shootings; 80 beatings; 65 bombings -- Alabama: books in the black belt -- Philadelphia: books by and for black people -- Arkansas: we are all connected -- Aftermath: the long dream.
Summary:
"Although illegal, racial segregation was strictly enforced in a number of American states, and public libraries were not immune. Numerous libraries were desegregated on paper only: there would be no cards given to African Americans, no books for them to read, and no furniture for them to use. It was these exact conditions that helped create Freedom Libraries. Over eighty of these parallel libraries appeared in the Deep South, staffed by civil rights voter registration workers. While the grassroots nature of the libraries meant they varied in size and quality, all of them created the first encounter many African Americans had with a library. Terror, bombings, and eventually murder would be visited on the Freedom Libraries--with people giving up their lives so others could read a library book. This book delves into how these libraries were the heart of the Civil Rights Movement and the remarkable courage of the people who used them"--Back cover.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.