At Canaan's Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-68
King despaired. After nearly three years, his relationship with President Kennedy had run out of room. Although the movement needed federal intervention more than ever, realism told King he could not pressure President Kennedy an inch further. Brooding, he took the young Justice Department lawyer Thelton Henderson privately aside. “I’m concerned ab
... See moreTaylor Branch • Pillar of Fire: America in the King Years 1963-65
In the middle of the last century, Lewis marched into the line of fire to summon a nation to be what it had long said it would be but had failed to become. Arrested forty-five times over the course of his life, Lewis suffered a fractured skull and was repeatedly beaten and tear-gassed. He led by example more than by words. He was a peaceful soldier
... See moreJon Meacham • His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope
