In the early 1900s; an indomitable entrepreneurial spirit brought national renown to Tulsarsquo;s historic African American community; the Greenwood District. This ldquo;Negro Wall Streetrdquo; bustled with commercial activity. In 1921; jealously; land lust; and racism swelled in sectors of white Tulsa; and white rioters seized upon what some derogated as ldquo;Little Africa;rdquo; leaving death and destruction in their wake. In an astounding resurrection; the community rose from the ashes of what was dubbed the Tulsa Race Riot with renewed vitality and splendor; peaking in the 1940s. In the succeeding decades; changed social and economic conditions sparked a prodigious downward spiral. Todayrsquo;s Greenwood District bears little resemblance to the black business mecca of yore. Instead; it has become part of something larger: an anchor to a rejuvenated arts; entertainment; educational; and cultural hub abutting downtown Tulsa.
#3888585 in eBooks 2014-08-26 2014-08-12File Name: B00SOFZZA8
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Totally movingBy Katy ButlerPaging through this book was a morally and spiritually uplifting experience for me. It made me realize how much America owes spiritually tothe brave; poor; uneducated African-American tenant farmers of the South who stood up and faced potentialmartyrdom for political rights; and to the white and black students from the North who stood with them. And the photographers whostood with all of them. The photographs are beautiful; and many of them describe a vanished world in which coexisted with intact extended families;religious life; festivals and communal celebration; dignity; courage; and wisdom.It also has great interviews with the photographers who also risked their lives.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. This Fight is Not Over!By J.K.I love the title of the book--"This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement"--because its a perfect symbol for what took place within movement people. Movement photographers demonstrated the light of courage as they captured an important moment in our nations history. In their photos; we witness the light of hope that was ignited when local people moved forward with courage and dignity and withstood racist abuse and persecution. We witness as well the bright light of young SNCC activists who were inspired to work hard in the fight for civil rights. As stated in the book; "Ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things."There are 150 photos in the book; and many of them are remarkable. I found myself particularly moved by a Matt Herron photo of local activists in Greenwood; Mississippi; holding a ballot box on which is written; "Vote for Freedom." I was also moved by Bob Fitchs photo of the 104 year old man; El Fondren; who celebrates with friends on the courthouse steps in 1966 after registering to vote for the first time in his life.It remains incredible to look into the faces of so many who fought for the civil and human rights of African Americans; and; by implication; all Americans. And that struggle for the vote and first-class citizenship goes on. This amazing and well thought out book; with its inspiring photos and text; reminds us that it is the light inside each of us that moves us to make the changes that matter. May we continue the fight for freedom and use the lessons learned from those who came before us. This fight is not over.J.K.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. This Light; a Fresh View of Civil RightsBy Matt H.Most of these photographs have not been seen before; and many are quite lovely. This Light provides a fresh look at the Civil Rights movement; and the role that rural organizing by SNCC and CORE played in its eventual success. It enriches and alters the standard view that the movement succeeded primarily due to efforts of prominent leaders such as Martin Luther King. In fact; the movement succeeded due to the extraordinary efforts of quite ordinary people -- the black citizens of the South.
