Item Description
The infamous 1965 "Bloody Sunday" civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., put that sleepy segregated town into the national spotlight. An important, though lesser-known, figure in those events was J.L. Chestnut--a fiery, hometown, Howard University-trained lawyer who through intelligence, force of will, and (in many cases) luck managed to change the town's laws and attitudes. Black in Selma, his unpretentious autobiography cowritten by Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Julia Cass, recalls Chestnut's lifelong battles with the brutal segregation enforced by whites, as well as underachievement, classism, miseducation, and Afro-pessimism among local blacks. Throughout the book, Chestnut reveals in ribald and revolutionary tones the complexities and contradictions of simultaneously working with the law and outside it, including a riveting moment alongside future congressman John Lewis as they stood eyeball-to-eyeball with a local sheriff who blocked their enteric into a court building. His encounters with activist organizations such as the NAACP, SCLC, and SNCC further illuminate the philosophical intersections and collisions between various factions of the civil rights movement. Overall, J.L. Chestnut's story is about how a people accustomed to injustice grew to fight for freedom with their lives. "After centuries of ducking and dodging," he writes, "black people have come out of the closet--and they liked the air." --Eugene Holley Jr.
Product Details
- Author: Julia Cass
- Publication Date: 2007-04-15
- Publisher: Fire Ant Books
- Product Group: Book
- Manufacturer: Fire Ant Books
- Binding: Paperback, 448 pages
- Features:
- ISBN13: 9780817354619
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
- Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices
- Package Dimensions:
- Dimensions: 880L x 600W x 130H
- Weight: 165
- List Price: $29.95
- ISBN: 0817354611
- ASIN: 0817354611
Customer Reviews
Average Amazon User Rating: 
In the trenches for civil rights
2008-12-23
Reviewer: Voir Dire
An excellent account of life growing up and practicing law as the first black lawyer at Ground Zero of the voting rights movement. The book provides interesting insights into life in the South both before and after the cataclysmic events of the 1960's in Alabama. It also provides a unique perspective on the development of a law practice in a hostile environment.
Black in Selma book review
2008-12-14
Reviewer: H. Guidugli
This is a wonderful book detailing the experiences of an individual that contributed to the transformation of our nation during the civil rights era. It is a must read by anyone interested in U.S. history, history of the south or just what it's like growing up in a small Southern town. A great book and I recommend it to anyone regardless of age or race.
Extraordinary Reading!!
2008-02-21
Reviewer: Casey
Black in Selma is an extraordinary book and gives the reader a superb mental depiction of Selma and times of the 1940s to present day. I read it from cover to cover in one day; I simply couldn't put it down. The racism that African-Americans endured is incredible!
A very very good story
2007-04-21
Reviewer: Danny J. Wilson
A wonderful book about Mr. Chestnut growing up in Selma. Some of the stories made me laugh so hard tears came to my eyes. But life for blacks in the south was hell. You will remember this one.
Great lessons for activists
2007-03-05
Reviewer: Kate
Great information about political strategy behind the civil rights movement and historical details that you won't read anywhere else. As an activist and organizer, I learned a lot from this book.
The book shows the sheer guts it took to do these things when the outcome of the civil rights movement was not at all certain. I also appreciated the way the book remembered important and courageous people, some of whom risked their lives, and who might otherwise be lost to history. I hope Mr. Chestnut writes another book.
