CFS Library Resources: Civil Rights Movement and Nonviolence
December 2013. Compiled in preparation for 2014 celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
The MS/US library has a broad collection of civil rights materials for personal or classroom use. As we look toward
our celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, to which we will welcome 1960s civil rights activist Bob Zellner, we
invite you to “check out” these print, audiovisual, and electronic materials.
Materials are listed by section in order of call number. Unless noted, all are available for checkout in the MS/US
library. This list also includes a few resources in the LS Library collection, which can be checked out there. (This is
not intended to be a comprehensive list of LS library materials.)
Non-Fiction Books
301.451 Kin
Where do we go from here: chaos or community? / Martin Luther, Jr King. New York : Bantam, 1968.
King’s final book, in which he shares his thoughts, plans and dreams for the future of America.
303.4 Gar
Rebels with a cause: a collective memoir of the hopes, rebellions and repression of the 1960s / Helen Garvy.
Los Gatos, CA : Shire Press, 2007.
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was the largest and most active student organization of the
1960s, involved in the anti-war movement, the civil rights movement, community organizing, and the
women's movement. Based on the film of the same name, this book uses interviews with former SDS
activists to capture the thoughts and action of people involved in that turbulent decade of social change.
303.6 Pow
The power of nonviolence: writings by advocates of peace / Howard Zinn. Boston : Beacon Press, 2002.
Anthology of writings about peace and nonviolence from Buddha to Arundhati Roy. Includes Martin
Luther King, Jr.’s 1967 “Declaration of Independence from the War in Vietnam.”
305.8 Geo
Life under the Jim Crow laws / Charles George. San Diego : Lucent Books, 2000.
Discusses the background and effects of the Jim Crow laws. Epilogue summarizes the civil rights
movement and the end of the Jim Crow era.
305.896 Wal
Mississippi challenge / Mildred Pitts Walter. New York : Bradbury Press, 1992.
Presents the history of African Americans in Mississippi in two parts. Part One covers Civil War,
Reconstruction, black codes and the controversy surrounding the Freedmen’s Bureau. Part Two brings
readers to the 1960s and the birth and work of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
and the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP).
322.4 Coo
The power of the people: active nonviolence in the United States. / Robert Cooney, and Helen Michalowski.
Culver City, CA : Peace Press, 1977.
Illustrated history of nonviolence from the 1600s to the 1970s. Includes chapter on the civil rights
movement, as well as the labor movement, anti-war movement and more.
323.09 Bau
Freedom riders : John Lewis and Jim Zwerg on the front lines of the civil rights movement / Ann Bausum.
Washington, D.C : National Geographic, 2006.
Conveys the history of the 1961 Freedom Rides through comparing and contrasting the personal life
stories of two participants from different backgrounds: John Lewis, a young black man who grew up in
Alabama,, and Jim Zwerg, a young white Wisconsin native.
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323.09 Koh
She would not be moved: how we tell the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott / Herbert
Kohl. New York : The New Press, 2005.
Evaluates the ways in which the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott is
misrepresented to children in books, textbooks and classrooms. Includes an appendix of teaching
suggestions and resources.
323.092 Zel (one copy in MS/US Library; one copy in LS Library)
The wrong side of Murder Creek : a White southerner in the freedom movement / Bob Zellner with
Constance Curry. Montgomery, AL : NewSouth Books, 2008.
Bob Zellner, former field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, reflects on his
life, focusing on his years as a civil rights activist from 1960 to 1967, and the many obstacles he faced
and people he met while fighting for equality. Zellner will be CFS’s guest speaker at MLK Day 2014.
P 323.095 (LS Library collection)
Freedom riders : 1961 and the struggle for racial justice / Raymond Arsenault. New York : Oxford University
Press, 2006.
Meticulously researched account of the Freedom Rides, one of the most compelling chapters in the
history of civil rights, and the hatred and violence endured by the Freedom Riders in Alabama and
Mississippi.
323.1 Bas
Like a mighty stream: the march on Washington, August 28, 1963 / Patrik Henry Bass. Philadelphia :
Running Press, 2002.
Tells the stories behind the landmark August 1963 march -- the precipitating events, the emergence of
leaders such as A. Philip Randolph, Roy Wilkins and John Lewis; the political intrigues; the unheralded
contributions of women; and the personal experiences that drew so many there that day.
323.1 Boy
We shall overcome / Herb Boyd. Narrated by Ossie Davis and Ruby Lee. Naperville, IL : Sourcebooks Inc, 2004.
A chronicle of the words, voices and photographs of the civil rights movement. Audio CDs include
original speeches , songs, news reports and more.
323.1 Cob
On the road to freedom: a guided tour of the Civil Rights Trail / Charles E., Jr Cobb. Chapel Hill, NC :
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2008.
Covers places of significance in eight states, describing specific locations and the stories behind them.
323.1 Eye
Eyes on the prize: America’s civil rights years, 1954-1965/ Juan Williams. New York : Penguin Books, 1987.
Traces the movement from the landmark Brown v. the Board of Education case in 1954 to the march
on Selma and the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Companion volume to the first part of the
acclaimed PBS series. See also: Eyes on the Prize DVDs (below).
323.1 Got
Ripples of hope : great American civil rights speeches / Josh Gottheimer. New York : Basic Civitas Books,
c2003.
Contains more than 100 speeches spanning from 1789 to 1998.
323.1 Gre
Our separate ways : women and the Black freedom movement in Durham, North Carolina / Christina
Greene. Chapel Hill, NC : University of North Carolina Press, c2005.
Examines how several generations of black and white women, low-income as well as more affluent,
shaped the struggle for black freedom in Durham, North Carolina.
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323.1 Kas
The civil rights movement: a photographic history, 1954-68 / Steven Kasher. New York : Abbeville Press,
1996.
Story of the civil rights movement through photographs that recorded, promoted, and protected it.
323.1 Kin
I have a dream: writings and speeches that changed the world. / Martin Luther, Jr King. San Francisco :
HarperSanFrancisco, 1992.
Twenty of King’s most memorable speeches and writings, arranged in chronological order.
323.1 Kin
A testament of hope: the essential writings and speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. / Martin Luther King, Jr.
and James Melvin Washington. San Francisco : HarperSanFrancisco, 1991.
Substantial one-volume collection (702 pages), divided into five parts: I. Philosophy (Religious, Social
and Political); II. Famous Sermons and Public Addresses; III. Historic Essays; IV. Interviews; V. Books.
323.1 Lev
Freedom's children : young civil rights activists tell their own stories. / Ellen Levine. New York : Putnam,
1993.
Thirty African-Americans who were children and teenagers during the civil rights movement share their
experiences in their own words.
323.1 McW
A dream of freedom : the civil rights movement from 1954 to 1968 / Diane McWhorter. New York : Scholastic
Nonfiction, 2004.
“This engaging, stirring narrative offers a balanced presentation of the heroism and idealism as well as
the political turmoil surrounding and within the civil rights movement.” -- School Library Journal (starred
review)
323.1 Mel
There comes a time : the struggle for civil rights / Milton Meltzer. New York : Random House, 2001.
This is nonfiction at its best. Meltzer examines all facets of the civil rights struggle and the history of
racism in this country. His perceptive account will cause readers to think critically about where we have
been and where we are going as a nation.” --School Library Journal
323.1 Par
Marching for freedom : walk together, children, and don’t you grow weary / Elizabeth Partridge. New York :
Penguin Group, 2009.
“Much has been written about the Civil Rights Movement, but what has not been documented as well is
the role that children played in propelling the movement forward. This book does just that as the Selma,
AL, voting rights protests are examined through the eyes of its youngest demonstrators, whose spirit,
humor, and grit are clearly exhibited.” -- School Library Journal (starred review)
323.1 Pow
Free at last? : the civil rights movement and people who made it / Fred Powledge. Boston : Little, Brown,
1991.
Veteran journalist Powledge, who covered the civil rights movement for newspapers, weaves together
eyewitness accounts and critical commentary.
323.1 Roc
Witnesses to freedom : young people who fought for civil rights / Belinda Rochelle. New York : Puffin, 1993.
Describes the experiences of young African-Americans who were involved in significant events in the
civil rights movement.
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323.1 Tho
Linda Brown, you are not alone: the Brown v. Board of Education decision / Joyce Carol Thomas, editor. New
York : Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, c2003.
A collection of personal reflections, stories and poems of 10 well-known children's authors, who were
themselves young people in 1954 when the Supreme Court handed down the decision to desegregate
public schools. Their varied experiences and viewpoints offer a window to that historical period..
323.11 Bri
Black and white : the confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor /
Larry Dane Brimner. Honesdale, Pennsylvania : Boyds Mills Press, 2011.
Uses oral histories, FBI files, court records, archived newspapers and other primary-source documents
to chronicle the clash between these two powerful men on opposite sides of the civil rights movement.
323.11 Doy
An American insurrection : the battle of Oxford, Mississippi, 1962 / William Doyle. New York : Doubleday,
2001.
“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.” (book jacket)
323.119 Lev
We've got a job : the 1963 Birmingham children’s march / Cynthia Levinson. Atlanta, GA : Peachtree
Publishers, 2012.
Chronicles a pivotal chapter of the civil rights movement through the stories of four children who
participated in the march. Winner of Jane Addams Book Award and other accolades.
323.42 Cha
Civilities and civil rights : Greensboro, North Carolina, and the Black struggle for freedom / William H
Chafe. New York : Oxford University Press, 1981.
“The ‘sit-ins’ at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro launched the passive resistance phase of the
civil rights revolution. This book tells the story of what happened in Greensboro; it also tells the story in
microcosm of America's effort to come to grips with our most abiding national dilemma -- racism.” (from
back cover)
779.4 Cox
Road to freedom : photographs of the civil rights movement, 1956-1968. Atlanta : High Museum of Art, 2008.
Photographs from exhibition held at the High Museum of Art (Atlanta) and the Smithsonian Institution.
Biographies
NOTE: In the CFS MS/US library, biographies of individuals have the call number 921.
921 And
The voice that challenged the nation : Marian Anderson and the struggle for equal rights / Russell
Freedman. New York : Clarion Books, 2004.
In the mid-1930s, Marian Anderson was a famed vocalist who had been applauded by European
royalty and welcomed at the White House. But, because of her race, she was denied the right to sing at
Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. This is the story of her resulting involvement in the civil rights
movement of the time. Newbery Honor Book.
921 Eve
The autobiography of Medgar Evers : a hero’s life and legacy revealed through his writings, letters, and
speeches / Edited by Myrlie Evers-Williams & Manning Marable.. New York : Basic Civitas Books, 2005.
On the evening of June 12th 1963, Medgar Evers, the first field secretary for the NAACP, was shot and
killed by an assassin's bullet in the driveway of his Mississippi home. This work tells the story of Medgar
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Evers, who was one of the greatest leaders of the Civil Rights movement, through his letters, papers,
writings and speeches.
921 Kin
The autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. / Carson Clayborne, editor.. New York : Warner Books, 1998.
“A professor of history and the noted author and editor of several books on the civil rights struggle, Dr.
Clayborne Carson was selected by the estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to edit and publish Dr. King's
papers. Drawing upon an unprecedented archive of King's own words, Dr. Carson creates an
unforgettable self-portrait of Dr. King.” (back cover)
921 Kin
Martin Luther King, Jr. : civil rights leader / Robert E Jakoubek. New York : Chelsea House, 1989.
Part of Black American of Achievement series for young readers. Introduction by Coretta Scott King.
921 Par
Rosa Parks : a life / Douglas Brinkley. New York : Penguin Books, 2000.
Acclaimed concise biography by historian Brinkley.
921 Par
Rosa Parks : my story / Rosa Parks, with James Haskins. New York : Dial Books, 1992.
Rosa Parks’ life story in her own words.
921 Par
Rosa Parks : the movement organizes / Kai Friese. Englewood Cliffs, NJ : Silver Burdett Press, 1990.
Biography for young readers; one of nine volumes in The History of the Civil Rights Movement.
Magazines
Cobblestone. A magazine of U.S. history. Each issue explores a single topic in depth.
- February 2013 - March on Washington
- April 2008 - Get on the Bus: On the Move for Civil Rights
- February 2002 - The NAACP
Print Reference
(These cannot leave the library.)
The Annals of America. 1968. (R 973 Ann)
Large collection of primary source documents from 1493 to 1793. Volume 18 covers 1961-1968 and
includes a collection of songs of the civil rights movement, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from
Birmingham Jail,” Mississippi Economic Council’s acceptance of the Civil Rights Law, and more.
Reference Library of Black America. 1997. (R 973.04 Ref)
This five-volume set is based upon the seventh edition of The African American Almanac. Volume I
contains significant documents in African American history. Volume II includes chapters on Civil Rights,
Black Nationalism, National Organziations, and Law.
A Cultural History of the United States Through the Decades: The 1960s. 1999. (R 973.9 Cul)
Chapter Four: Civil Rights: The Quest for Equality. Part of ten-volume set covering the 1900s.
America in the 1960s. 2006. (R 973.9 Dec)
Part of ten-volume set Decades of American History, which spans the 1900s.
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Fiction about the Civil Rights Movement
F Bur
A thousand never evers / Shana Burg. New York : Delacorte Press, 2008.
As the civil rights movement in the South gains momentum in 1963 -- and violence against African
Americans intensifies -- the black residents, including seventh-grader Addie Ann Pickett, in the small
town of Kuckachoo, Mississippi, begin their own courageous struggle for racial justice. (Ages 9-12.)
F Cur
The Watsons go to Birmingham -- 1963 / Christopher Paul Curtis. New York : Delacorte Press, 2008.
F Gai
The autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman / Ernest Gaines. New York : Bantam Books, 1976.
Miss Jane tells her fictional life story, beginning with her life as a slave during the Civil War and
continuing through the civil rights movement. (Written for adults, accessible and appropriate for middle
schoolers and up.)
F Mag
The rock and the river / Kekla Magoon. New York : Aladdin, 2009.
In 1968 Chicago, fourteen-year-old Sam Childs is caught in a conflict between his father's nonviolent
approach to seeking civil rights for African Americans and his older brother, who has joined the Black
Panther Party. (Ages 9-14.)
F Wil
One crazy summer / Rita Williams-Garcia. New York : Amistad, 2010.
In the summer of 1968, after travelling from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to spend a month with the
mother they barely know, eleven-year-old Delphine Gaither and her two younger sisters arrive to a
cold welcome as they discover that their mother, a dedicated poet and printer, is resentful of the
intrusion of their visit and wants them to attend a nearby Black Panther summer camp. (Ages 9-12.)
F Wil
P.S. be eleven / Rita Williams-Garcia. New York : Amistad, 2013.
The Gaither sisters of One Crazy Summer are back in Brooklyn, where changes large and small come to
their household as they grow up during the turbulent 1960s. (Ages 9-12.)
Audio and Video Materials
CD 323.4 Kin
A call to conscience : the landmark speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. / Edited by Clayborne Carson and
Kris Shepard.. New York : Time Warner AudioBooks, 2001.
These twelve moving speeches voiced by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are original recordings collected
for the first time. In addition, some of the world's most renowned leaders and theologians share their
reflections on these speeches and give firsthand testimony on the events that inspired their delivery.
CD 781.1 Voi
Voices of the civil rights movement : Black American freedom songs, 1960-1966. Washington, D.C :
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, 1997.
Double-CD reissue with 43 tracks documents a central aspect of the civil rights movement: songs.
CD 781.64 Tim
Let freedom sing : the music of the civil rights movement. Time Life. New York; Santa Monica, CA : Sony
Music Entertainment; Universal Music Enterprises, 2009.
Three-disc set includes a 40-page book with detailed commentaries, a timeline, and rare photos.
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Video 322.09 Fre (Two copies in MS/US library; two copies in LS library.)
Freedom riders. PBS, 2011. (DVD, 120 minutes)
This inspirational documentary is the first feature-length film about the courageous civil-rights activists
who called themselves the Freedom Riders.
Video 323. 1 Com
Come walk in my shoes. Washington, DC: Video Action, Inc. 2007. (DVD, 56 minutes)
Honorable John R. Lewis leads congressional members on a journey of remembrance as they travel
from Montgomery, Alabama to Selma, Alabama. As they travel, they learn about the experience of the
African American community during the Civil Rights movement which occurred in the middle of the
20th century.
Video 323.1 Eye
Eyes on the prize : America’s civil rights movement. Blackside, 1986.
Seven-volume, 14-hour documentary series from PBS’ American Experience that illuminates the
struggle for racial equality and social justice.
Also available: Shorter set of same series covering only years 1954 to 1965. (Six hours, 3 DVDs.)
Video 323.1 Mig
Mighty times: the children’s march. Montgomery, AL : Teaching Tolerance, 2005. (DVD, 40 minutes)
Oscar Award-winning documentary about the young people of Birmingham, Alabama, who braved fire
hoses and police dogs in 1963 in the fight against segregation. See also: Teaching Kit of same title.
Video 323.4 Kin (LS Library)
Martin Luther King, Jr : I have a dream. Rolling Bay, WA : SpeechWorks, 2004. (DVD, 22 minutes)
Featuring highlights of major speeches given by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Video 323.42 Feb
February one. Carolina Newsreel, c2004. (DVD, 57 minutes)
Tells the inspiring story of four young men who initiated the lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, NC on
February 1, 1960. “Tremendous! An excellent teaching tool that I wish had been available when I was
in the classroom. A MUST for those teaching and studying American history.” --John Hope Franklin
Video 345.73 Sco
Scottsboro : an American tragedy. Boston : WGBH Educational Foundation, 2001. (DVD, 90 minutes)
Acclaimed documentary from PBS series “American Experience” about the 1931 case that sparked the
civil rights movement.
Video 921 Kin (LS Library)
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. : a historical perspective. Santa Monica, CA : Xenon Pictures, 2002. (DVD, 60 min.)
Using rare and largely unseen film footage and photographs, writer/director Tom Friedman explores
how Dr. King's ideas, beliefs and methods evolved in the face of the rapidly changing climate of the civil
rights movement.
Video 921 Par (LS Library)
The Rosa Parks story. Santa Monica, CA : Xenon PIctures, 2002. (DVD, 94 minutes)
Dramatic biography starring Angela Bassett.
Video 976.1 Fou
4 little girls. New York : Home Box Office, 1998. (DVD, 102 minutes)
Spike Lee’s documentary film about the four young girls who died on September 15, 1963, when a
bomb tore through the basement of a black Baptist church, fueling a nation's outrage and bringing
Birmingham, Alabama to the forefront of the civil rights movement.
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Teaching Kits
Kit 323.1 Ame
America's civil rights movement. Montgomery, AL : Teaching Tolerance, 2005. (VHS*, 38 minutes)
Includes 104-page textbook on events and people of the movement; Academy Award-winning
documentary A Time for Justice; and teacher’s’ guide with lesson plans for history, civics, and language
arts. *DVD on order.
Kit 323.1 Mig
Mighty times: the children’s march. Montgomery, AL : Teaching Tolerance, 2005. (DVD, 40 minutes)
Oscar Award-winning documentary about the young people of Birmingham, Alabama, who braved fire
hoses and police dogs in 1963 in the fight against segregation. Also includes teacher’s guide with lesson
plans for middle and high school social studies, language arts and music.
Electronic Resources
If you are looking for online resources about the civil rights movement, don’t forget about our subscription
databases SIRS Discoverer (discoverer.sirs.com), SIRS Researcher (sks.sirs.com), and World Book Online
(worldbookonline.com). Another excellent source for information is the Research component of EasyBib.com. (All
MS and US students and staff have EasyBib accounts.) All of these can be easily accessed from just one stop -- the
MS/US library website:
http://library.cfsnc.org
Quick keyword searches for “civil rights movement” and “civil rights” at worldbookonline.com and
easybib.com turned up the following websites, all of which are credible resources for teachers and learners.
(Obviously this is not a comprehensive list, but it’s a starting point.)
National Park Service: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/civilrights/index.htm
This site includes information about key people and places in the civil rights movement.
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute
http://mlk-kpp01.stanford.edu/
Home of the King Papers Project and the Liberation Curriculum initiative, which “provides
document-based lesson plans and resources and professional development workshops to inform
teachers about global efforts to achieve social justice, human rights and liberation through nonviolent
means, with special emphasis on the modern African-American freedom struggle.”
Teaching With Documents: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/civil-rights-act/
From the National Archives -- primary sources, lesson plans and more for teachers and students.
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