Review by Choice Review
Williams (sociology, Trinity College) argues that, evidently contrary to the arguments of some sociological theorists, religious culture was an important factor in the "resource mobilization" required for the civil rights struggle. Churches as institutions often avoided the fray, but church people imbued with spiritual self-confidence were the "early risers" that carried forward the work. The fact that this perfectly obvious point would have to be made is enough to make one wonder whether some of the sociologists Williams argues against are sentient beings on this planet. But if the sociological discussion is stultifying, the histories that Williams uncovers and discusses are vibrant and compelling. He provides moving quotations from subjects he has interviewed in his home state. Along the way, he covers relatively little known episodes (including the sharecroppers' union of the 1930s and the black teachers' union's struggle for equal pay in the 1940s) that form the "pre-history" of the climactic battle between the "Little Rock Nine," who desegregated Central High School, and those who organized massive resistance to desegregation. Overall, despite the heavy jargon, this is an interesting and important work. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and above. P. Harvey University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
