Voices of Civil Rights Lawyers: Reflections from the Deep South, 1964–1980

Civil rights lawyers were handmaidens of change who worked in the back rooms during twentieth-century America's era of profound social upheaval. Kent Spriggs, a noted lawyer of the period, gathers stories of legal maneuvers and memories of racial injustices from 26 voices--white and black, male and female, Northern-born, and Southern-born--many of whom share their own defining moments as civil rights lawyers. This collective perspective adds depth to the history of the era and its window on the legal and extralegal activities that occurred away from the actual protest venues. The framing materials place civil rights litigation into the context of major events from the 1960s, and the concluding section reflects on contemporary relevancies and continuing legacies.… (more)