
Today on Martin Luther King Day I have been reading a wonderful book called "Generation on Fire: Voices of Protest from the 1960's" an oral history by Jeff Kisseloff. I'm a big fan of his books (he is an old friend but that is besides the point!) In just 50 years the world has changed alot and the people interviewed in this book deserve alot of credit in helping bring that about. The eloquent interview with Bernard LaFayette was especially moving. In 1961 when he participated in the Freedom Rides, in parts of this country it was deathly dangerous for a black person to expect the same rights as a white person. He was one of an amazing group of courageous young black people who rode interstate buses into the deep south and risked being beaten, brutalized, even killed as they got off the buses, or even step foot in the "white stations". He was inspired by Martin Luther King and his whole life he has devoted himself to social change through nonviolent means.
Jeff also has a fabulous website for the book: www.generationonfire.com Writing a book is always a difficult process of cut, cut, cut, but especially oral historians have to struggle to edit down all the great interviews they get. On the website there is lots of "extra" material.
And for his new blog: www.jeffisme.wordpress.com
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