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Over the course of the past century the struggle against racism took many forms, from petitions and lawsuits to sit-ins and marches. This book records the testimony of eleven scholar-activists who challenged prevailing racial beliefs and practices while engaging in resistance and reform.
To highlight both the similarities and the differences in their experiences, the editors asked each of the subjects the same set of general questions about formative influences, major obstacles, and principal accomplishments. These were followed by more narrowly focuses queries about specific writings. Most of the responses were recorded on tape as interviews: several were submitted as written reminiscences: and one, the essay on Du Bois, was the shared recollection of two associates who had worked closely with him for many years.
The result is a singular collection of autobiographical accounts that not only testify to the personal courage of these individuals in overcoming the ravages of racism but also document their contributions to the establishment of a vital antiracist tradition in American thought and culture.
