The Unfinished Agenda Of The Selma-Montgomery Voting Rights March
by
The Editors of
Black Issues in Higher Education
 In
the turbulent years of the Civil Rights Movement, no single event had greater
impact than the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Earlier that year,
Dr. Martin Luther King had launched a major campaign to register black voters
in Alabama. What began as a grassroots protest against discrimination, delay,
and intimidation at the polls unleashed a shock wave of violent backlash and
bloodshed. In the face of armed opposition, thousands more joined the Selma
protesters. By the time they reached the state capitol on March 25, more than
25,000 marchers—both black and white—had peacefully made their voices heard in
Congress. Out of this unprecedented show of unity and determination emerged the
most significant civil rights landmark of our time; the Voting Rights Act of
1965.
As the fortieth anniversary of this
extraordinary achievement draws near, it is clear that the voting rights
struggle continues for many Americans—particularly people of color. Despite the
sacrifices made by so many men, women, and children in Selma, this generation
questions whether its votes matter. Do dramatic gains in numbers of women and
blacks among elected officials mask growing underrepresentation? What electoral
strategies are necessary now to reduce the inequality of millions?
The editors of Black Issues in Higher Education
asked leading African American scholars and commentators to search for answers.
The Unfinished Agenda of the Selma-Montgomery Voting Rights March is a
thought-provoking collection of essays that takes an incisive look at the events
of 1965, the milestones reached, and the unresolved issues and challenges that
remain today.
Featured here are the views of heroes such as
Congressman John Lewis, who participated in the march and was brutally injured
in the infamous Bloody Sunday attack on the marchers. Renowned activists such as
Harvard law professor Lani Guinier and Columbia historian Manning Marable argue
for further reform. Prominent Latino, Asian, and Native American scholars share
crucial findings on parallel trends and make suggestions for the future.
Enlightening and inspiring, The Unfinished
Agenda of the Selma-Montgomery Voting Rights March is a powerful testament to
those who risked their lives for fundamental freedoms—and a much-needed,
thorough examination of what must yet be done to protect them.
Since its founding in 1984, BLACK ISSUES IN
HIGHER EDUCATION has been America's preeminent magazine for information on
issues affecting African Americans and other minorities and underrepresented
groups in our nation's colleges and universities.
Black Issues in Higher Education has been at the
forefront of providing vital information for the past twenty years. Leaders from
academe, industry, and public policy have all come to rely on this award-winning
news magazine to stay abreast of the trends and issues that go to the very core
of the future of this country and its place in an ever-changing world.
The Unfinished Agenda
Of The Selma-Montgomery Voting Rights March
The Editors of Black Issues in Higher Education
Price: $24.95
ISBN: 0-471-71037-7
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