The struggle for
black freedom and equality is a legacy that belongs to all Americans. In the twentieth century, this story of triumph over injustice inspired the spread of democracy around the world. From the villages of Eastern Europe to the cities of Asia and Africa, people have found new strength, hope and courage in the ways African Americans defeated
Jim Crow segregation in the United States. Liberty and equality required the sacrifices of many African Americans who lived and made a difference in
New Jersey, including the Russell, Ham and Brown families whom Walter Greason documents in this book. This contemporary narrative of community uplift offers a fresh appreciation of just how long the path to justice is.
Background Information
The civil rights movement, which aimed to deliver the rights assured black Americans in the post-Civil-War amendments, reached its peak of activity in the 1960's. Jim Crow laws were designed to deny their civil rights in the South, either directly or by indirect consequences. New Jersey is a central state on the Atlantic Coast, closely associated with both Philadelphia and New York City.
