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William Doyle, author of Inside the Oval Office, calls the forced integration of the University of Mississippi in 1962 "the biggest domestic military crisis of the twentieth century." In An American Insurrection, he delivers a blow-by-blow account of how the school, popularly known as Ole Miss, was opened to black students for the first time. At the center of the tale is James Meredith, a determined but unusual hero gripped by what Doyle calls "an almost messianic vision of destroying the system of white supremacy in Mississippi." Meredith was one of the first black men to serve in the armed forces following its integration, enlisting right out of high school in 1951. He later decided to seek a college education and resolved to get his degree from the all-white precincts of Ole Miss. Through clever plotting and the assistance of a beleaguered civil rights movement, Meredith won admittance to the school, but his troubles had only just begun. Thousands of segregationists descended upon Oxford, Mississippi, to block Meredith from attending class. Their numbers included students, state police, governor Ross Barnett, and an assortment of troublemakers with no real ties to the university. Through it all, Meredith "succeeded in forcing three new allies to his side: the president of the United States, the U.S. Justice Department, and the most powerful military machine in history."
The story recounted in An American Insurrection is inspiring, and Doyle tells it well. It is also fresh, because it has been forgotten in a way other epic civil rights struggles--at Little Rock and Selma, for instance--have not. Meredith never took his place beside Rosa Parks as a celebrated hero of the civil rights movement; its leaders wound up regarding him as something of an annoyance. As Doyle writes, "Meredith maintained a ruthless, jarring intellectual integrity and courage that considered the traditional discussion of civil rights as an insult to him as an American citizen, as invalid, even preposterous." The key word is "jarring": Meredith spent his later years rebuking the NAACP and working for conservative senator Jesse Helms. Admirers of Diane McWhorter's Carry Me Home and other readers interested in the civil rights movement will enjoy An American Insurrection--and nobody will suppress a smile during Doyle's description of graduation day, when Meredith wore one of the red-and- white "Ross Is Right" badges distributed by his foes. It was hidden under his robes, turned upside down. --John Miller
Book Description
Forty years ago, James Meredith tried to integrate the University of Mississippi, and ignited an armed white rebellion in the nation’s heartland. This riveting book re-creates the day the country went to war against itself.
An American Insurrection is the true story of the worst constitutional crisis since the Civil War and a major turning point in American history. It takes readers into the eye of the chaotic and ferocious white uprising that occurred when air force veteran James Meredith tried to become the first black student to register at the University of Mississippi, only to be physically blocked by radical segregationist Governor Ross Barnett, hundreds of state police, and thousands of student and civilian “volunteers” from across the South. The revolt climaxed in a fourteen-hour battle and the lightning invasion of the state by 30,000 combat troops ordered in by President John F. Kennedy.
Based on years of intensive research, including more than 500 interviews with witnesses and key players in the drama, recently unsealed FBI files, and on JFK’s Oval Office and Cabinet Room tapes recorded during the crisis,
An American Insurrection unearths the unsung heroes–and more than a few villains–of a dark and violent event that has remained buried in the historical shadows until now. It is the unforgettable account of a governor in rebellion, a president in crisis, soldiers on a perilous mission, a state sliding into civil war, and a battle that crushed forever the Southern strategy of massive resistance. What
Black Hawk Down was to the American mission in Somalia,
An American Insurrection is destined to become to the epic struggle for civil rights.
Download Description
Forty years ago, James Meredith tried to integrate the University of Mississippi, and ignited an armed white rebellion in the nation's heartland. This riveting book re-creates the day the country went to war against itself.
An American Insurrection is the true story of the worst constitutional crisis since the Civil War and a major turning point in American history. It takes readers into the eye of the chaotic and ferocious white uprising that occurred when air force veteran James Meredith tried to become the first black student to register at the University of Mississippi, only to be physically blocked by radical segregationist Governor Ross Barnett, hundreds of state police, and thousands of student and civilian "volunteers" from across the South. The revolt climaxed in a fourteen-hour battle and the lightning invasion of the state by 30,000 combat troops ordered in by President John F. Kennedy.
Based on years of intensive research, including more than 500 interviews with witnesses and key players in the drama, recently unsealed FBI files, and JFK's Oval Office and Cabinet Room tapes recorded during the crisis, An American Insurrection unearths the unsung heroes -- and more than a few villains -- of a dark and violent event that has remained buried in the historical shadows until now. It is the unforgettable account of a governor in rebellion, a president in crisis, soldiers on a perilous mission, a state sliding into civil war, and a battle that crushed forever the Southern strategy of massive resistance.
What Black Hawk Down was to the American mission in Somalia, An American Insurrection is destined to become to the epic struggle for civil rights.
Customer Reviews:
Great detailed account.......2003-06-13
William Doyle has written an excellent account of the events surrounding Meredith's entry into Ole Miss. Particularly noteworthy is his detailed account of the behind the scenes negotiations between the Kennedys and Mississippi's segregationist governor, Ross Barnett. The book's depiction of the riot is also rich: Doyle vividly potrays the chaos that reigned in Oxford during the riot. The narration is gripping and this book is an entertaining read.
I thought the book was not nearly as strong in the final 30 pages. There is no clear direction to the book's "conclusion." Doyle sort of vasillates between providing updates on the book's main characters and attempting to place the riot into a historical perspective. While both are interesting, this portion of the book drags on.
Overall, a very enjoyable read.
I was there on that very morning........2003-03-02
I am 62 years old now. On that morning when
the 716th MP Battalion was brought to the campus,
I was in one of the groups exactly as pictured in
the middle of the book. At the time I had no idea
what the big picture was. I just did as I was told.
I was in the army for about a year prior to that day,
but never had live ammunition except for practice.
We had our gas masks on and our bayonets fixed. We
were each handed one clip of live ammunition for
our M-1 rifles. I vividly remember my knees literally
knocking together as we stood there waiting for the
trouble that never came at that time. We had heard
that a soldier had been killed prior to that. This
book is giving me the big picture and a full under-
standing of how we got there and why we were there.
I am finding this book to be riviting and educational.
I heartily recommend it. Mike Cuggino, NY.
Absorbing reading.......2002-12-19
While one can quibble with some things in this book (the author seems to draw on anti-Kennedy books for his material on the Kennedys) all in all it tells the story well, and is really exciting, even tho one is appalled that there could be in the 20th century such benighted persons as instigated and participated in the insurrection to prevent a student entering Ole Miss. The last chapter tho makes a person feel better and I am glad the author spent some time finding out what happened to the people involved in the tumultous events of October, 1962. How pleasant to know that the student body president, the newspaper editor, the quarterback, and the head basketball coach in 2000-2001 were all African-American, and how stupid the rioters must feel now about the views they had in 1962. This is a popular account but it is great reading.
pompous.......2002-11-23
found this to be superficial and pompous. it overwrites facts and at the end fails to provide sufficient perspective. i am an academic and would not use for my students.
One hell of a ripping yarn...........2002-11-12
Mr. Doyle has done very well what so many others have failed at. He has taken the stuff of a compelling story and told it as a straightforward and detailed narrative that needs no excessive or distracting "artfulness" to make it live on the page. Here are real, hateful villains, conflicted heroes, confused bureaucrats and the inscrutably zen-like James Meredith. Every one of these individuals - with the possible exception of Meredith - is caught up in circumstances way beyond his "job description" and required by fate to draw his best or worst abilities to the tasks he has been drawn into.
Whatever anyone else may say about this book it is first and foremost a wonderfully compelling reading experience. As a writer of history, Doyle is right up there with McCullough, Ambrose and Goodwin as a writer of skill, insight and a willingness to let the story take the front seat. You will appreciate this book; you will respect this story; but most of all you will savor every minute you spend reading it.
Book Description
In 1892, the men of Biddle University met their counterparts form nearby Livingstone College for a "match game of ball" on a snow-covered field in Salisbury, North Carolina, 23 years after Princeton and Rutgers had inaugurated college football. The Biddle and Livingstone players had no idea they were pioneering the sport for black colleges, yet that's exactly what they did on December 27 of that year. Biddle took a controversial 4-0 decision and football at black colleges was off and running. This book documents the players, coaches, schools, and other entitles which have participated in this rich athletic history which recently celebrated its centennial.
Customer Reviews:
American History Through Sports.......2006-02-15
I understand that when Michael Hurd was putting together this book and calling historically black colleges to talk to them about their long-gone football programs, some college employees responded with, "We used to have a football program?" This is not a book of just names, dates and places -- it describes a unique time and the very unique culture that surrounded football at historically black colleges, and programs that, at the time, were storied and exhaulted. This peek into the past should prove interesting to anyone interested in the cultural aspects of American history, not just people who like American football (which I don't, by the way). For what it is -- a very targeted history book about a very particular period and practice -- I give it four stars. Obviously a labor of love by the author.
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From Swastika to Jim Crow: Refugee Scholars at Black Colleges
Gabrielle Simon Edgcomb
Manufacturer: Krieger Publishing Company
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ASIN: 089464775X |
Book Description
Dismissed from their posts as victims of Nazi racist policies, or for their opposition to the regime, many scholars from Germany and Austria came to the United States where they learned to reassemble the pieces of their lives and careers. This book concerns the stories of these exiled scholars who came to hold faculty positions in historically black colleges. Illustrative stories, anecdotes and observations of the developments between two diverse groups of people, both victims of racist oppression and persecution, are presented to contribute to cross-cultural understanding in American society. Historians and others interested in minority and immigration history and cross-cultural encounters will gain a new perspective on race relations.
Book Description
From Juan Williams, author of
Eyes on the Prize, and the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund comes a must-have gift book and definitive resource that explores the historical, social, and cultural importance of America's 107 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
HBCUs have graduated such illustrious leaders as Oprah Winfrey, Thurgood Marshall, Spike Lee, W. E. B. DuBois, Debbie Allen, Alain Locke, Samuel L. Jackson, and Nikki Giovanni. This commemorative illustrated gift book is filled with photographs, historical narrative, personal memoir, archival and contemporary material, and anecdotal and resource information. It is the first of its kind -- a groundbreaking retrospective that explores the dramatic development and history of America's historically black colleges and universities.
Stories abound about the abolition of slavery. However, lesser known are the efforts -- both prior to and after the Civil War -- of African American and white abolitionists banding together to formally educate newly freed slaves. Through the tireless work of government organizations, black churches, missionary groups, and philanthropists, HBCUs were established. The tales of how these schools were created and of the individuals who are linked to the schools' histories are extraordinarily rich -- and sometimes controversial. In an unprecedented salute to America's 107 historically black colleges and universities,
I'll Find a Way or Make One chronicles the formation of the black middle class, the history of education in the African American community, and some of the most important events of African Americana and American history.
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The Black College Mystique
Charles V. Willie ,
Richard J. Reddick , and
Ronald Brown
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
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American Higher Education: A History, Second Edition
ASIN: 0742546179 |
Book Description
This study discussses the ways in which Black colleges can be of help to non-Blacks (including white students) who can benefit from the unique kind of education offered by such schools. It compares the culture of black colleges and universities a generation ago with those that exist today, and makes projections into the future based on a comprehensive review of professional literature and an analysis of the management skills of contemporary black college leaders.
Book Description
Many of this nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have amassed significant collections of American art and founded galleries and museums on their campuses. These collections provide a rich resource for the study of African American art, yet many also possess a diverse array of nineteenth- and twentieth-century American art. To Conserve a Legacy documents an outstanding sampling of paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, and sculptures owned by Clark Atlanta University, Fisk University, Hampton University, Howard University, North Carolina Central University, and Tuskegee University.
This book serves as the catalog for a major exhibition and conservation project organized by the Addison Gallery of American Art and The Studio Museum in Harlem, in association with the Williamstown Art Conservation Center and the six participating HBCUs. The book contains a profile of each university collection, color reproductions of many artworks included in the exhibition, biographical information on all the represented artists, and documentation of the conservation and care practices helping to preserve the art for future generations.
Two major essays place the HBCU art collections and this collaborative project in a historical context and develop six themes around which the exhibition was organized: Forever Free: Emancipation Visualized; The First Americans; Training the Head, the Hand, and the Heart; The American Portrait Gallery; American Expressionism; and Modern Lives, Modern Impulses. The artists include Romare Bearden, John Biggers, Elizabeth Catlett, Charles Demuth, Arthur Dove, Marsden Hartley, William H. Johnson, Jacob Lawrence, Edmonia Lewis, Archibald Motley, Georgia O'Keeffe, Horace Pippin, P. H. Polk, Alfred Stieglitz, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Doris Ulmann, Carl Van Vechten, Thomas Waterman, James Weeks, Charles White, and many others. The book also contains forty-two entry essays by American scholars on many of the individual artworks.
The exhibition was co-curated by Richard Powell, Chairman of the Art and Art History Department at Duke University, and Jock Reynolds, Director of the Yale University Art Gallery.
Customer Reviews:
Best Art Coffee Table Book of 1999.......2000-04-04
This is a great addition to any art book collector. The photographs parallel the tour being sponsored by HBCU's such as Clark Atlanta; and does a fine job of representing the exhibit.
Book Description
Stand and Prosper is the first authoritative history in decades of black colleges and universities in America. It tells the story of educational institutions that offered, and continue to offer, African Americans a unique opportunity to transcend the legacy of slavery while also bearing its burden. Henry Drewry and Humphrey Doermann present an up-to-date and comprehensive assessment of their past, present, and possible future.
Black colleges fully got off the ground only after the Civil War--more than two centuries after higher education formally began in British North America. Despite horrendous obstacles, they survived and even proliferated until well past the mid-twentieth century. As the authors show, however, the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education brought them to a crucial juncture. While validating the rights of blacks to pursue opportunities outside racial and class lines, it drew the future of these institutions into doubt. By the mid-1970s black colleges competed with other colleges for black students--a welcome expansion of choices for African-American youth but a huge recruitment challenge for black colleges.
The book gradually narrows its focus from a general history to a look at the development of forty-five private black colleges in recent decades. It describes their varied responses to the changes of the last half-century and documents their influence in the development of the black middle class. The authors underscore the vital importance of government in supporting these institutions, from the Freedman's Bureau during Reconstruction to federal aid in our own time.
Stand and Prosper offers a fascinating portrait of the distinctive place black colleges and universities have occupied in American history as crucibles of black culture, and of the formidable obstacles they must surmount if they are to continue fulfilling this important role.
Customer Reviews:
From the Publisher.......2005-11-21
"One of the most exciting and eclectic celebrations of African American art ever published, Narratives of African American Art and Identity showcases one hundred paintings, etchings, sculptures, and photographs from the collection of David C. Driskell. A true Renaissance man, Driskell himself is an esteemed artist, educator, curator, and philanthropist. His fifty-year career has been committed to promoting African American art. Included are works by John Biggers, Sam Gilliam, Lois Mailou Jones, Keith Morrison, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Alma Thomas, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Augusta Savage, and James VanDerZee-to name just a few. Each artwork is accompanied by information about the artist and the particular work. Published in cooperation with The Art Gallery at the University of Maryland, College Park. More by David Driskell: The Other Side of Color
"192 pages, over 100 full-color reproductions, size: 9 x 12". Smythe-sewn paperbound book, with flaps. ISBN: 0-7649-0689-5."--© Pomegranate
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