I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle is a non-fiction book published in 1995 by American author Charles M. Payne, published by University of California Press.
The author chronicled the stories of various figures overlooked in the Civil Rights Movement,[1] including many senior citizens involved.[2] Payne himself criticized the focus on a few prominent people instead of many ordinary people. Several articles include life stories of particular people involved in the movement.[3] Much of the narrative concerns Greenwood, Mississippi and events related to it.[2] Payne has a focus on events rooted in particular communities and argued that the movement was based in each location rather than being primarily nationwide, and he stated that in Mississippi the movement originated from a form of community organizing developed in the state and not primarily from black churches.[4]
The book has a focus on community organization affairs instead of having a holistic coverage of the history.[5]
Robert J. Norrell stated that compared to Local People: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Mississippi, this book is "more expansive" and "less comprehensive and chronological".[2]
Reception
Publishers Weekly stated that the book is "thoughtful".[5]
Stewart Burns of Stanford University stated that the book is a "remarkable study", praising its "careful structure" and "vivid, engaging prose".[6]
Mary L. Dudziak of the University of Iowa described the book as "essential reading" in its field; she stated that the volume may be more difficult for an "uninitiated reader" in the subject to handle.[7]
References
- Burns, Stewart (1995). "Payne, "I've Got the Light of Freedom" (Book Review)". The Journal of American History. 82 (3): 1265. doi:10.2307/2945238. JSTOR 2945238. ProQuest 224913037.
- Dudziak, Mary L (1998). "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". Law and History Review. 16 (3): 626–628. doi:10.2307/744264. JSTOR 744264. S2CID 197683881.
- Norrell, Robert J (1996). "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". Virginia Quarterly Review. 72 (4): 748. JSTOR 26439154.
Notes
- ^ "I'VE GOT THE LIGHT OF FREEDOM THE ORGANIZING TRADITION AND THE MISSISSIPPI FREEDOM STRUGGLE". Kirkus Reviews. 1995-03-01. Retrieved 2022-08-25. - Posted online on May 20, 2010.
- ^ a b c Norrell, p. 751.
- ^ Dudziak, p. 626.
- ^ Dudziak, p. 627.
- ^ a b "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". Publishers Weekly. May 1, 1995. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
- ^ Burns.
- ^ Dudziak, p. 628.
Further reading
- Chappell, David L. (1996). "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". American Historical Review. 101 (5): 1643–1644. doi:10.2307/2170361. JSTOR 2170361.
- Dittmer, John (1996). "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". The Arkansas Historical Quarterly. 55 (3): 331–333. doi:10.2307/40030987. JSTOR 40030987.
- Gamson, William A. (1996). "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". Contemporary Sociology. 25 (3): 347–348. doi:10.2307/2077456. JSTOR 2077456.
- Gordon, Fon Louise (1996). "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". Journal of Southern History. 62 (3): 620–621. doi:10.2307/2211557. JSTOR 2211557.
- Lee, Chana Kai (1996). "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". Indiana Magazine of History. 92 (1): 86–87.
- Jensen, Richard J (1997). "I've Got the Light of Freedom: The Organizing Tradition and the Mississippi Freedom Struggle". Quarterly Journal of Speech. 83 (4): 507–509.
- Ling, Peter (1997). "I've got the light of freedom: the organizing tradition and the Mississippi freedom struggle". Ethnic and Racial Studies. 20 (7): 635–641.
- Nelson, Bruce (1995). "PAYNE, "I've Got the Light of Freedom" (Book Review)". The Georgia Historical Quarterly. 79 (4): 997.
- "I've Got the Light of Freedom". Reviews in American History. 23 (3): 535. 1995.