At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance--A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power
by Danielle L. McGuire, 2010, 324 pages, paperback.
Selected and reviewed by Joanne Shawhan
A history of America's civil rights movement traces the pivotal influence of sexual violence that victimized African American women for centuries, revealing Rosa Parks' contributions as an anti-rape activist, years before her heroic bus protest.
A MIGHTY GIRL says: "For children today, it's hard to imagine a time when women couldn't vote; realizing that they've had that right for under 100 years is astounding. It's equally shocking when they learn that women had to fight for 72 years before the 19th Amendment — which stated that no citizen could be denied the right to vote on account of sex — became law. So it's imperative that we teach today's children about the struggle for women's suffrage, not just to honor the dedication and sacrifices of the women who led the Women's Suffrage Movement, but also to ensure that future generations don't take the right to vote for granted."
This month, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the US 19th amendment with books and films about women's suffrage in the United States: the history of the movement, the women who led it forward, and the tremendous challenges that they faced in their quest to ensure that women's voices could be heard at the ballot box. These stories will both educate kids about a critical period in women's history and inspire them to see the power of determined activists and political leaders to make big changes in the world.
Search the web for books about suffrage in both the US and around the world, as well as voting rights during the Civil Rights Movement. Some are pictured above. Share a book with a girl today! Happy reading!
