Righteous Troublemakers
Untold Stories of the Social Justice Movement in America
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
Bestselling author Reverend Al Sharpton brings to light the stories of the unsung heroes of the Civil Rights movement, drawing on his unique perspective in the history of the fight for social justice in America
“This is the time. We won’t stop until we change the whole system of justice.”—Rev. Al Sharpton
While the world may know the major names of the Civil Rights movement, there are countless lesser-known heroes fighting the good fight to advance equal justice for all, heeding the call when no one else was listening, often risking their lives and livelihoods in the process.
Righteous Troublemakers shines a light on everyday people called to do extraordinary things—like Pauli Murray, whose early work informed Thurgood Marshall’s legal argument for Brown v. Board of Education, Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus months before Rosa Parks did the same, and Gwen Carr, whose private pain in losing her son Eric Garner stoked her public activism against police brutality. Sharpton also illuminates the lives of more widely known individuals, revealing overlooked details, historical connections, and a perspective informed by years of working on the front line of the social justice movement, to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the wheels of justice and the individuals who have helped advance its cause.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this inspiring history, civil rights activist Sharpton (Rise Up) spotlights "lesser-known rabble rousers" who have fought for racial justice in the U.S. Noting that Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington in 1963 "sidelined" women and LGBTQ people, Sharpton profiles activists including Ernestine Eckstein, whose experiences working with the NAACP influenced her activism for gay rights, and Pauli Murray, whose legal theories helped shape Thurgood Marshall's winning arguments in Brown v. Board of Education and Ruth Bader Ginsburg's in Reed v. Reed, the first Supreme Court ruling to hold that the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment protects women's rights. Elsewhere, Sharpton unearths the stories of Claudette Colvin, whose refusal to move to the back of a city bus in Montgomery, Ala., inspired Rosa Parks to do the same thing nine months later; Ramsey Orta, who filmed the police killing of Eric Garner in 2014; and George Floyd's brother Philonise Floyd, who "found a sense of purpose and meaning in life" through speaking out against police brutality. Throughout, Sharpton shares inspiring anecdotes from the front lines of protest marches and reflects on the courage of family members who have been thrust into activism by the tragic death of a loved one. This is a worthy testament to those whose commitment to the cause has flown under the radar.
