“Because They Marched: The People’s Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America” by Russell Freedman.
Holiday House, New York, 2014, 83 pages, Grades 5-8.
Throughout the history of the United States, the right to vote stands at the heart of the nation. The lack of legislative representation was one of the major causes of the American Revolution.
As the nation began, African Americans, Native Americans and other minorities are denied the right to vote. This leads to the oppression of these groups and a rise in racism. After the brutal Civil War, the 15th Amendment is passed that the right to vote could not be “denied or abridged on account of race or color.” But what is supposed to happen, doesn’t always happen.
Shortly after the 15th Amendment was passed, the notorious “Jim Crow Laws” were passed throughout the South. These evil laws greatly restrict the lives of African Americans throughout the South. This condition persists for nearly 100 years. Then, with the advent of the civil rights movement in the early 1960s, many positive changes start occurring in the United States.
The small town of Selma, Alabama is the early center of the movement. Russell Freedman tells the remarkable story of the freedom marches that led the way for widespread voter registration throughout the South. This compelling book is entitled: “Because They Marched: The People’s Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America.”
In Selma and elsewhere throughout the South, black voters are routinely disenfranchised. This is done by making it almost impossible to register to vote, closing voting registration booths or forcing literacy tests on would-be black voters. These literacy tests are impossible to pass, which is the entire reason for their creation. White bigots in the South don’t want black people voting. But enough is enough. The black teachers of Selma decide to march to the court house and register to vote. They are threatened by the white power structure in Selma with the loss of their jobs and the possibility of being injured or jailed. But this march empowers others in Selma.
Soon other marches are demanding voter registration in Selma. The white police force attacks the marchers and brutally beats up a number of them. Several people are killed by gunfire. But the people will not be denied. The marches in Selma are joined by Martin Luther King, the famous civil rights leader. He then proposes a march on the Alabama state capitol in Montgomery. Threats against the civil rights workers mount. As the march continues, thousands of people across the country join the rally. President Johnson takes note. What happens?
What results from the famous freedom marches in the 1960s? Do black voters throughout the South finally get to the ballot box? Why are these marches so important to American history? To find out, go to the library and check out this inspiring book: “Because They Marched” by Russell Freedman.
This book is an important contribution to the American understanding of citizenship. Voting is part of the fabric of our country. As Freedman shows, voting rights were gained through struggle and pain. We need to stop any attempts to turn back the clock. Highly recommended.
