Dissent in America: The Voices That Shaped a Nation
Author: Ralph F Young
“This is a wonderfully rich collection of voices of courage and resistance through all of our national history. These are the true heroes of our country, not the presidents and generals and industrialists, but those who spoke truth to power, and their words not only instruct us about our history, but inspire us at a time when dissenters are so needed.”
Howard Zinn, author, A People's History of the United States
Dissent and protest have been at the heart of the American story from the first days of settlement to the present. Dissent in America traces the theme of dissent as it weaves its way through the fabric of American history. This collection of first-hand accounts show how dissenters fought to gain the rights they believed were denied to them, or others, or have disagreed with the government or majority opinion. Through songs, speeches, articles, testimonies, letters, and more, they tell the story of our nation and give us a unique look at the country that America has become.
With the words of almost 150 dissenters, Dissent in America features -
--A chronological organization with ten parts, from Pre-Revolutionary Roots (1607-1760) through Contemporary Dissent (1975-Present).
--First-hand accounts from well-known dissenters (Samuel Adams, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Booker T. Washington, Langston Hughes, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Betty Friedan, Ralph Nader) as well as lesser known dissenters (Cherokee Chief John Ross protesting a treaty in 1836, Sarah Grimké on the equality of women in 1837).
--Essays that introduce each chronological section and place the writers and issues in historicalcontext.
--A brief introduction that precedes each document and discusses the significance of each dissenter.
Library Journal
In this time of warrantless wiretaps and imprisonment without trial, these two anthologies remind us how hard previous generations of Americans fought to preserve and broaden our civil and human rights. Dissent is the larger and broader of the two. Young (history, Temple Univ.) organizes his book chronologically, with introductions to each of nine broad periods from pre-Revolutionary War to contemporary times (Cindy Sheehan against the war in Iraq in 2005) and briefer introductions for each author. Early protests of religious persecution by Puritans in the 17th century mix with Native American speeches and an anonymous slave's letter, and the collection continues with a wide social, economic, political, and racial span, ultimately embracing a panoply of issues including black liberation, the environment, gay rights, workers' rights, and peace movements. While Young defines dissent as coming from both the Left and the Right in his introduction, left of center predominates. American Protest Literature is organized by Trodd around 11 subjects, which are collected more or less as they have arisen chronologically in our history, from "Declaring Independence" and "Unvanishing the Indian" to "The Word Is Out: Gay Liberation" and "From Saigon to Baghdad." Within each area, Trodd presents writings from both the originating movement and the later protest writings on similar themes, e.g., Daniel De Leon's 1895 Declaration of Interdependence by the Socialist Labor Party is with Thomas Paine in the first section. There is less introductory material here than in Young's book, but by linking original works to later pieces Trodd underlines the historical roots of American dissent and the ongoing relevance of these writings. Trodd does not attempt to include right-of-center dissent, nor does her work contain literature on environmentalism or the long history of anti-imperialism, as does Young. Taken together, these books offer an exciting and inclusive vision of Americans fighting for their rights since the 17th century. Both are highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Duncan Stewart, Univ. of Iowa Libs., Iowa City Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Book review: Im Like So Fat or Cults
Black in Selma: The Uncommon Life of J.L. Chestnut Jr.
Author: J L Chestnut
“The autobiography of J. L. Chestnut is the story of Selma’s first black lawyer and prodigal son, but it is also part of the history of the race, sweeping biblically from enslavement by segregation to freedom to the ambitious aftermath of redemption.” —New York Times Book Review “Unfolds with the richness that one expects in a nove. . . .Less about the famous civil rights figureheads like Adam Clayton Powell, Martin Luther King Jr., and Stokely Carmichael (though the author has his say about all of them) than the grass-roots folks who lived in Selma before the era of freedom riders, and remained there, toiling for social change, after the national leaders and media left. [This book] brims over with the social texture and political life of a Southern town raised to the level of a national symbol.” —Los Angeles Times “A valuable addition to the literature on civil rights. . . .It illuminates the personal isolation and frustration that make activism a high-risk endeavor.” —Journal of American History
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