Freedom Season

“Through myriad fascinating characters, from James Baldwin to Malcolm X, Lorraine Hansberry to Dr. King and the Kennedy brothers, Peniel Joseph animates the tantalizing drama of a year on which the axle of history turned. Many readers will know the seminal moments of 1963. How can those of us who lived through it ever forget them? The Fire Next Time, the murder of Medgar Evers, the March on Washington, the Birmingham Church Bombing, the JFK assassination. But here, in vivid fashion, Joseph narrates the unfolding days and months of that unforgettable year in a way that makes for suspenseful reading and a compelling look back at a time of reckoning in America.”—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Harvard University

“Elegantly written and deftly argued, Freedom Season is an impressive encapsulation of the importance of 1963 in shaping the civil rights movement and its legacy. Drawing on an array of sources, acclaimed historian Peniel E. Joseph has written a captivating and compelling account that sheds new light on the dynamics of race, politics, and the law in US history.”—Keisha N. Blain, coeditor of the #1 New York Times–bestseller Four Hundred Souls

“Freedom Season is a remarkable book, shining new light on a pivotal year in our nation’s past. Joseph’s sweeping narrative makes history come alive, showing how 1963 continues to haunt and inspire America. From James Baldwin to Gloria Richardson, this is a story of bold ideas and actions that is as relevant today as ever.”—Matthew F. Delmont, author of Half American