The Race Beat: The Press, The Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation
by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff
Published by Vintage
Click on book
cover to order
at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Jamie Driggers
The Civil Rights Movement of the ‘50s and ‘60s was a significant and well-known period of American history. But have you ever thought about why it is so well known, or even why it had so much success?
The Race Beat is a story, not only of the well-known players of the Civil Rights Movement, but also the men who covered it in the media. These men poured their hearts and souls into covering the stories that would make the people of the United States stand up and take notice of the injustices being done in the name of “separate but equal,” “justice,” and “liberty.” Many of these men had battled against Hitler over his racial elitism. Once they came home, they were quick to jump into the front lines of our own battle for racial equality before we descended into the depravity that Hitler is known for.
This is a fascinating insider’s look at how the civil rights battle was brought to the forefront of the United States’ attention. Blending well-known events with the stories of the men who were there writing about it, you get a whole new perspective of what these men were feeling and fighting for. Not just as outside observers, but compatriots.
This book is well written and well researched, but it is slow to start. I picked it up expecting the jump into the civil rights movement, but found myself in the ‘40s as they laid the groundwork for what the journalists were to become. It is also heavily journalist-centric. That is to say, there are references the non-journalists among us won’t understand. But all in all, it is a great read.
Armchair Interviews says: If you are looking for a new perspective on the civil rights movement, this book is for you.