Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
There have been many diaries already honoring Dr. King. One of the ways that I thought we could also honor him was by sharing some books that reflect those times as well as this amazing person. There are also writers and scholars who have preceded and followed him who are part of this struggle that should have ended long, long ago.
Many suggestions have already been made by other posters. Here's some of them. I've included the poster's name in parentheses. My apologies, for any I've missed. I hope you'll add them below.
*William Pepper Orders to Kill (Progressive)
*William Pepper Act of State (Granny Helen)
*Taylor Branch Parting the Waters (Roddy McCorley)
*James H. Cone Martin & Malcom & America, A Dream or a Nightmare (DianeL)
Some of the writers that came to mind for me, besides Langston Hughes, are:
*James Baldwin The Fire Next Time
*Claude Brown Manchild in the Promised Land
*Richard Wright Native Son
*Eldridge Cleaver Soul on Ice
*Alex Haley Autobiography of Malcolm X
*Alice Walker The Color Purple, In Search of Our Mothers' Gardens
*Cornel West Race Matters
*Toni Morrison Beloved
*Beth Roy Bitters in the Honey: Tales of Hope and Disappointment Across Divides of Race and Time
*Bettye Collier-Thomas and V.P. Franklin, eds. Sisters in the Struggle African American Women in the Civil Rights-Black Power Movement
*Angela Davis <Women, Culture and Politics</I>
These are just some of my favorites. Please add your own suggestions below.