Subtitled The Civil Rights Struggle from Frederick Douglass to Marcus Garvey to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X: engagingly written biographies of four civil rights leaders, mentioning the mistakes and weaknesses--as well as the strong moral sense, high purpose, and outstanding courage--of each. Archer also places each firmly in his historical context, including numerous details and incidents that vividly evoke the social climate--a prominent white abolitionist can't bring himself to walk side by side in public with Frederick Douglass; conflicts between Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. DuBois over Garvey's flashy posturing; or class differences among supporters of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. Archer's carefully balanced approach extends to a long concluding chapter on ``The Black Struggle Today and Tomorrow,'' discussing political events since King's death, new forms of racism, and last year's Rodney King case. An excellent resource. Bibliography, including interviews with well-known civil rights activists. Index not seen. (Biography. 10+)
