Once in a while a book comes along that projects the spirit of an era; this is one of them . . . Vibrant and expressive . . . A well-researched and well-written work. ―The Philadelphia InquirerWith the rallying cry of "Black Power!" in 1966; a group of black activists; including Stokely Carmichael and Huey P. Newton; turned their backs on Martin Luther King's pacifism and; building on Malcolm X's legacy; pioneered a radical new approach to the fight for equality. Drawing on original archival research and more than sixty original oral histories; Peniel E. Joseph vividly invokes the way in which Black Power redefined black identity and culture and in the process redrew the landscape of American race relations. In a series of character-driven chapters; we witness the rise of Black Power groups such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Black Panthers; and with them; on both coasts of the country; a fundamental change in the way Americans understood the unfinished business of racial equality and integration. Waiting 'Til the Midnight Hour traces the history of the Black Power movement; that storied group of men and women who would become American icons of the struggle for racial equality.
#716210 in Books 2000-10-17Ingredients: Example IngredientsOriginal language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.52 x 2.16 x 6.62l; #File Name: 0805025340608 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Does Not DisappointBy D. JohnsonDavid Levering Lewis never disappoints his readers. As with the first half of the Dubois autobiography; this book is well-researched and well-written. I read many biographies and some authors get too bogged down in explaining the subject's motivations; etc. -- to the point that it becomes just plain boring and hard to read. The opposite is true of Lewis. This guy weaves a story that you can not put down; while giving readers a strong understanding of Dubois and the social milieus that he lived in at various points in time. Lewis also provides detailed documentation of sources. He is a fine historian and biographer.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Thanks Much; Mr. LewisBy RayI was interested in Du Bois so I read a bunch of his writing. Then I glommed onto this two-volume biography. This is volume 1. Well-researched; exhaustive; and above all honest in its assessment of the man and his ideas. The scholarship is amazing. I can not imagine how much effort went into this remarkable book(s). I have to admit that it took me a while to read but well worth my effort. Thanks much; Mr. Lewis.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Keeping The Heat On In The U.S. KitchenBy Franklin the MouseMr. Lewis' second and final volume about Mr. Du Bois' life is a thorough undertaking which began with his outstanding first book; "Biography of a Race." The author takes the reader through Du Bois' struggles with the demagogue Marcus Garvey; the NAACP; the Depression; WWI and WWII; Southern lynchings; J. Edgar Hoover; Jim Crow and the Red Scare; to name just a few. Mr. Lewis gives ample time to place Du Bois in the social mind-sets of the respective eras in which the icon lived. You get to know this brilliant man; warts and all. Some aspects of his personality are to be greatly admired and other parts of him; such as his eventual near-blind devotion to communism and multiple philanderings; made me cringe. Though I agree that the book feels rushed in presenting the last years of his life; after reading these two large volumes; I had my fill of the subject matter. Du Bois was a complicated man who forced the world to face the illogical attitude about racism and the need to expand civil rights. A must read for anyone that wants to understand race in the United States.
