Lighting the Fires of Freedom

African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement

By: Janet Dewart Bell

Narrated by: Robin Miles, Karen Chilton

A “New & Noteworthy” selection of The New York Times

One of Book Riot's “29 Amazing New Books Coming in 2018”

A groundbreaking collection based on oral histories that brilliantly plumb the leadership of African American women in the 20th-century fight for civil rights - many nearly lost to history - from the latest winner of the Studs and Ida Terkel Prize.

During the Civil Rights Movement, African American women were generally not in the headlines; they simply did the work that needed to be done. Yet despite their significant contributions at all levels of the movement, they remain mostly invisible to the larger public. Beyond Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, and Dorothy Height, most Americans, black and white alike, would be hard-pressed to name other leaders at the community, local, and national levels.

In Lighting the Fires of Freedom Janet Dewart Bell shines a light on women’s all-too-often overlooked achievements in the Movement. Through wide-ranging conversations with nine women, several now in their nineties with decades of untold stories, we hear what ignited and fueled their activism, as Bell vividly captures their inspiring voices. Lighting the Fires of Freedom offers these deeply personal and intimate accounts of extraordinary struggles for justice that resulted in profound social change, stories that remain important and relevant today.

Published to coincide with the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, Lighting the Fires of Freedom is a vital document for understanding the Civil Rights Movement and an enduring testament to the vitality of women’s leadership during one of the most dramatic periods of American history.

©2018 Janet Dewart Bell (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Fantastic!

The book was very inspiring and informative. Reading is a little slow, though (fast reader)

Great Listen!

Very Personal, honest. Well put together. Inspiring!!!
I was aware of some details; surprised by some admissions and worriy that these strong women will never be thanked by us all enough for their resilience.

Wow! Incredible stories by true Women leaders

Where to begin... This books is so much. It's about leadership, disrupting the world and all by the women of the civil rights movement. Don't miss this book - it's a life changer.