Crowe offers an engaging, insightful portrait of the first African-American Supreme Court justice. Prefacing Marshall’s life story with an overview of race relations in the United States prior to his birth, the narrative effectively portrays both the racist society Marshall was born into and the way the injustices of his times shaped his remarkable career as a civil-rights attorney. Focusing on his career with the NAACP—which is convincingly presented as the most compelling aspect of his life—Marshall’s pivotal involvement in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision is chronicled, as are lesser-known but equally important cases. Crowe notes that although Marshall always operated within the law, he frequently faced the lawlessness of a racist society, including several narrow escapes from lynch mobs. Anecdotes and quotes effectively illustrate Marshall’s folksy demeanor, humor, intelligence and sharp wit. This is a captivating portrait of a heroic champion of justice that also offers great insight into the most pivotal moments of the Civil Rights Movement. (source notes, bibliography, further reading, index, photo credits) (Biography. 11 & up)
Pub Date: July 3, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-670-06228-7
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2008
A compelling exploration of a key aspect of civic engagement.
Mooney traces the history of student-led protests in the U.S. and their influence on national discourse.
Mooney’s well-researched book weaves together landmark movements, like the civil rights sit-ins of the 1960s, anti–Vietnam War efforts, and the Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s May 2020 murder, along with less well-known but significant campaigns, such as demonstrations during the Great Depression that led to government relief programs. Mooney captures both the idealism and the complexity of activism, noting its power to create change but also its risks: violent clashes with authorities or counter-protesters, infringement on others’ rights, and disruption to the public order. She spotlights successful grassroots youth movements like the March for our Lives, which focused on gun violence, and controversial protests like those at Columbia University against the Israel-Hamas War, which led to student arrests, suspensions, and expulsions. Mooney’s fact-driven tone makes this work useful for student reports but will feel detached to readers expecting an impassioned account. This valuable resource is both instructive, as it covers the historical context of protests as well as their legal implications, and timely, with its inclusion of topics such as digital activism.
A compelling exploration of a key aspect of civic engagement. (photo credits, source notes, for further research, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2025
ISBN: 9781678210168
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
The textured perspective that emerges in candid and quirky interviews with gay, lesbian, and bisexual youth is marred by a reductive approach to sexuality. Journalist Chandler follows six teenagers over a few years, through crucial points in their coming-out processes. (The book grew out of a series of articles he wrote for the Minneapolis Star- Tribune.) Attempting to give a broad overview of the sexual- minority youth experience, Chandler devotes some chapters to the young people's (and, in some cases, their parents') personal stories and some to broad generalities about homosexuality and young people. The teens' narratives are often powerful; though there is a good share of coming-out clichÇs (``I always felt different,'' ``She was always such a tomboy,'' etc.), the author also includes the kinds of particularities that bring such stories to life. One girl, for instance, takes her mother to a gay nightclub so she can see what it's like; in another celebratory family moment, a father delights his daughter and her friends by joining them in a raucous lesbian-sex joke-telling session. Chandler, who is heterosexual, negotiates the diversity of queer youth culture more open-mindedly than most mainstream journalists, neither avoiding nor reviling drag queens, tattooed girls, and shirtless young women at pride marches. Unfortunately, the Homosexuality 101 sections are simplistic; in a chapter called ``The Roots of Homosexuality,'' Chandler reassures his readers ad nauseam that gay people do not ``choose'' to be gay and that an individual's essential sexual identity is fixed and unchangeable. Chandler's approach to homosexuality has the effect of unnecessarily distancing these kids from readers, who he seems to assume are straight and have never questioned their heterosexuality. The personal narratives here are compelling, but unfortunately, Chandler seems determined not to let his readers identify with his subjects. (Author tour)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-8129-2380-4
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Times/Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1995
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