THE UNFINISHED MARCH: The Negro in the United States, Reconstruction to World War I

by Carol and Edgar A. Toppin Drisko ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 24, 1967

Because Reconstruction is the link between slavery and civil rights, because the period is often ignored or distorted, this is probably the most important volume in the Zenith series to date; it is also one of the better written. Within a general historical framework, Negro achievements are credited, but the unrelenting reality of their subjugation requires primary emphasis. Freedom was a promise that was soon repudiated: they were relegated to menial jobs, downgraded in popular culture, refused the right to vote and to hold office, restricted in every sphere by Jim Crow laws. This bitter reversal is treated with due regard for underlying concepts and conflicts (including the apostasy of Booker T. Washington); it is established by statistics and quotations. By 1900, ""something had to be done."" What was done, especially by W.E.B. DuBois and the Niagara Movement transformed into the NAACP, rounds out a narrative that will be a revelation to readers of how--with the participation of both North and South-- it happened here.

Pub Date: Feb. 24, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday (Zenith)

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION