Civics and citizenship Books

Book SynopsisKentucky native Madeline McDowell Breckinridge (1872--1920) was at the forefront of the suffrage movement at both the state and national levels. In Madeline McDowell Breckinridge and the Battle for a New South, Melba Porter Hay recounts the remarkable life of this well-known vanguard of social change in the Commonwealth.

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Book SynopsisExplores the largely forgotten but deeply significant life of Gloria Richardson, and her determination to improve the lives of black people. Using a wide range of source materials, Joseph R. Fitzgerald presents an all-encompassing narrative of one of the most influential and unsung leaders of the civil rihts movement.

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Book SynopsisOffers perspectives on civil rights. This anthology gathers works by some of the influential writers to engage issues of race and social justice in America, including James Baldwin, Flannery O'Connor, Amiri Baraka, and Nikki Giovanni.

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Book SynopsisThis work provides an understanding of Grimke's purposeful engagement of the rhetoric of confrontation, her rhetorical use of violence in antislavery discourse, and her emergence as a witness to the moral truths of her time.

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Book SynopsisHere, Kurt Wilson examines reconstruction's desegregation debate to explain how it represented an important movement in the evolution of US race relations. He outlines how Congress fought to control the scope of black civil rights by contesting the definition of black equality.

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Book SynopsisIn one volume. The classic defense of intellectual liberty and the freedom to publish, and Milton''s plan for training rulers to be fit to govern. Also includes three autobiographical passages from other prose works. Edited by George H. Sabine, who provides a short introduction, this edition also contains a list of principal dates in the life of Milton and a bibliography.Table of ContentsIntroduction vii Principal Dates in Milton's Life xi Areopagitica 1 Of Education 57 Autobiographical Passages 73 From The Reason of Church-Government Urges against Prelaty 73 From An Apology against a Pamphlet Called a Modest Confutation of the Animadversions upon the Remonstrant against Smectymnuus 83 From The Second defense of the People of England 93 Bibliography 109

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Book SynopsisAlexandra Hudson, daughter of the Manners Lady, was raised to respect others. But as she grew up, Hudson discovered a difference between politenessa superficial appearance of good mannersand true civility. In this timely book, Hudson sheds light on how civility can help bridge our political divide.From classical philosophers like Epictetus, to great twentieth-century thinkers like Martin Luther King Jr., to her own experience working in the federal government during one of the most politically fraught eras in our nation''s history, Hudson examines how civilitya respect for the personhood and dignity of otherstranscends political disagreements. Respecting someone means valuing them enough to tell them when you think they are wrong.It's easy to look at the divided state of the world and blame our leaders, the media, or our education system. Instead, we should focus on what we can control: ourselves. The Soul of Civility empowers readers to live tolerantly with o

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Book SynopsisAn impassioned, incisive look at the violations of civil liberties in the United States that have accelerated over the past decade—and their direct impact on our lives.How have our rights to privacy and justice been undermined? What exactly have we lost? Pulitzer Prize–winner David K. Shipler searches for the answers to these questions by traveling the midnight streets of dangerous neighborhoods with police, listening to traumatized victims of secret surveillance, and digging into dubious terrorism prosecutions. The law comes to life in these pages, where the compelling stories of individual men and women illuminate the broad array of government’s powers to intrude into personal lives. Examining the historical expansion and contraction of fundamental liberties in America, this is the account of what has been taken—and of how much we stand to regain by protesting the departures from the Bill of Rights. And, in Shipler’s hands, each person&

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface 1 Background and History Introduction: Civil Liberties in the United States U.S. Founding Documents The Declaration of Independence The Articles of Confederation The U.S. Constitution The Bill of Rights The First Amendment and Freedom of Speech Debating Freedom of Speech Court Rulings on Free Speech Academic Freedom and Campus Free Speech Conclusion Further Reading 2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions Introduction Campus Climate Regarding Free Speech Civic Engagement Initiatives on Campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives on Campus Challenges of Promoting Free Speech on Campus Controversies Regarding Free Speech on Campus Case Study: Chapman University Controversies Regarding Academic Freedom Solutions/Best Practices for Promoting Free Speech Conclusion Further Reading 3 Perspectives Introduction Campus Free Speech: Keep Your Head Down and Don’t Say a Word? Sentwali Bakari Free Speech and the Value of the Sidewalk Provocateur Kathryn Cavins Tull Promoting a “Statement of Community Values” Eva Chatterjee-Sutton Thoughts from the Front Lines of the Campus Free Speech Struggle Matthew J. Dickinson Is There a Free Speech Crisis? David A. Dulio Student Affairs and the Free Speech Debate on Campus Kevin Kruger Talking Politics: Teaching Democracy by Teaching Political Discussion Elizabeth C. Matto Framing Controversies over Free Speech and Academic Freedom in the University Setting Kenneth R. Mayer and Howard Schweber 4 Profiles Introduction Organizations American Association of University Professors American Civil Liberties Union American College Personnel Association American Council on Education American Political Science Association Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Heterodox Academy National Association of Scholars National Association of Student Personnel Administrators University of California at Berkeley University of Chicago U.S. Supreme Court People John Dewey Jonathan Haidt Shaun R. Harper Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Thomas Jefferson Greg Lukianoff James Madison Alexander Meiklejohn John Stuart Mill Mario Savio Further Reading 5 Data and Documents Introduction Data Public Opinion Polling on Campus Free Speech Table 5.1. Rise in Acceptance of Opposing Free Speech on Campus Table 5.2. Is America’s Higher Education System Going in the Right Direction? Table 5.3. Reasons Cited by People Who Believe American Higher Education Is Going in the Wrong Direction U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Pertaining to Free Speech U.S. Supreme Court Cases: Campus Free Speech and Academic Freedom Documents Constitutional Provisions Excerpt from John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859 Excerpt from John Dewey, Democracy and Education, 1916 Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917 and 1918) Schenck v. United States (1919) Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957) Healy v. James (1972) Senators Stake Out Differing Positions on Hate Speech and Free Speech on Campus Challenging Colleges to Face Racism on Campus 6 Resources Introduction Books Scholarly Journals Other Publications Online Resources 7 Chronology Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisAs a young, black, MIT-educated social scientist, Marsha Coleman-Adebayo landed her dream job at the EPA, working with Al Gore’s special commission to assist postapartheid South Africa. But when she tried to get the government to investigate allegations that a multinational corporation was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of South Africans mining vanadium—a vital strategic mineral—the agency stonewalled. Coleman-Adebayo blew the whistle.How could she know that the liberal agency would use every racist and sexist trick in their playbook in retaliation? The EPA endangered her family and sacrificed more lives in the vanadium mines of South Africa—but her fight against this injustice also brought about an upwelling of support from others in the federal bureaucracy who were fed up with its crushing repression.Upon prevailing in court, Coleman-Adebayo organized a grassroots struggle to bring protection to all federal employees facing discrimination and retribution from the government. The No FEAR Coalition that she organized waged a two-year-long battle with Congress over the need to protect whistleblowers—culminating in the passage of the first civil rights and whistleblower law of the 21st century. This book is her harrowing and inspiring story.Trade Review"Intensely gripping. . . . Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo's story refuses to leave the reader's memory. She is a cool force of nature whose example teaches how to stand down fear and victoriously stand up for what is right. More will be right when others join her." --Ralph Nader"A remarkable book: absolute must reading for anyone who cares about civil rights, whistleblowers, and justice." --Stephen M. Kohn, executive director, National Whistleblowers Center"A taut legal thriller...Marsha Coleman-Adebayo's memoir No Fear had me hooked from the first lines." -- Essence"Marsha Coleman-Adebayo's account of cowardice and betrayal at the EPA demonstrates that heroines like herself are indeed necessary. . . . The same agency that facilitated the poisoning of miners and their families in South Africa allows its own citizens to sicken and die for the sake of corporate profits. Do not ask for whom the whistle blows--it blows for all of us." --Glen Ford, executive editor, Black Agenda Report"Dr. Coleman-Adebayo presents the public a trenchant critique of how the US government too often not only turns a blind eye, but also enables the worst kinds of human rights practices by its multinational corporations abroad. Her unique insider position and her principled commitment were what made her dangerous to the federal bureaucracy. Thankfully, she did not give up. This book is a must-read if you're concerned with government accountability and want a rare inside look at the toll willful government negligence can take on individuals, families, and communities." --Danielle Brian, president, Project on Government Oversight (POGO)"Marsha's insider's account, told with startling clarity, is a call to action. Her courageous accomplishments, especially with the No FEAR legislation and Coalition, have helped to fortify and protect those who take up that call." --Dr. Willard R. Johnson, MIT professor emeritus of political science"Marsha Coleman-Adebayo clearly and engagingly tells us Americans a truth that we might not want to hear but should." --Dal LaMagna, author of Raising Eyebrows: A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets It Right"This is an inspiring and worthwhile trek through one woman's brave battle against a system favoring the powerful." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisWhen Aaron Henry returned home to Mississippi from World War II service in 1946, he was part of wave of black servicemen who challenged the racial status quo. He became a pharmacist through the GI Bill, and as a prominent citizen, he organized a hometown chapter of the NAACP and relatively quickly became leader of the state chapter.From that launching pad he joined and helped lead an ensemble of activists who fundamentally challenged the system of segregation and the almost total exclusion of African Americans from the political structure. These efforts were most clearly evident in his leadership of the integrated Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegation, which, after an unsuccessful effort to unseat the lily-white Democratic delegation at the Democratic National Convention in 1964, won recognition from the national party in 1968.The man who the New York Times described as being “at the forefront of every significant boycott, sit-in, protest march, rally, voter registration drive and court case” eventually became a rare example of a social-movement leader who successfully moved into political office. Aaron Henry of Mississippi covers the life of this remarkable leader, from his humble beginnings in a sharecropping family to his election to the Mississippi house of representatives in 1979, all the while maintaining the social-change ideology that prompted him to improve his native state, and thereby the nation.

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Book SynopsisIncludes the torture photographs in color and the full texts of the secret administration memos on torture and the investigative reports on the abuses at Abu Ghraib. In the spring of 2004, graphic photographs of Iraqi prisoners being tortured by American soldiers in Baghdad''s Abu Ghraib prison flashed around the world, provoking outraged debate. Did they depict the rogue behavior of 'a few bad apples'? Or did they in fact reveal that the US government had decided to use brutal tactics in the 'war on terror'?The images are shocking, but they do not tell the whole story. The abuses at Abu Ghraib were not isolated incidents but the result of a chain of deliberate decisions and failures of command. To understand how 'Hooded Man' and 'Leashed Man' could have happened, Mark Danner turns to the documents that are collected for the first time in this book.These documents include secret government memos, some never before published, that portray a fierce argument within the Bush administration over whether al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners were protected by the Geneva Conventions and how far the US could go in interrogating them. There are also official reports on abuses at Abu Ghraib by the International Committee of the Red Cross, by US Army investigators, and by an independent panel chaired by former defense secretary James R. Schlesinger. In sifting this evidence, Danner traces the path by which harsh methods of interrogation approved for suspected terrorists in Afghanistan and Guant‡namo 'migrated' to Iraq as resistance to the US occupation grew and US casualties mounted.Yet as Mark Danner writes, the real scandal here is political: it 'is not about revelation or disclosure but about the failure, once wrongdoing is disclosed, of politicians, officials, the press, and, ultimately, citizens to act.' For once we know the story the photos and documents tell, we are left with the questions they pose for our democratic society: Does fighting a 'new kind of war' on terror justify torture? Who will we hold responsible for deciding to pursue such a policy, and what will be the moral and political costs to the country?

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Book SynopsisCitizen Lobbyists explores how U.S. citizens participate in local government. Although many commentators have lamented the apathy of the American citizenry, Brian Adams focuses on what makes ordinary Americans become involved in and attempt to influence public policy issues that concern them. It connects theory and empirical data in a new and revealing way, providing both a thorough review of the relevant scholarly discussions and a detailed case study of citizen engagement in the politics of Santa Ana, a mid-sized Southern California city. After interviewing more than fifty residents, Adams found that they can be best described as \u0022lobbyists\u0022 who identify issues of personal importance and then lobby their local government bodies. Through his research, he discovered that public meetings and social networks emerged as essential elements in citizens' efforts to influence local policy. By testing theory against reality, this work fills a void in our understanding of the actual participatory practices of \u0022civically engaged\u0022 citizens.Trade Review"This book is a valuable contribution to the literature on grassroots politics in American communities... In his focus on the issues that prompt participation and on the nature of the citizen lobbying responses that result, Brian Adams plows new ground in the study of citizen activism. Citizen Lobbyists is a worthwhile read." -Urban Affairs ReviewTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Part I: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Citizen Efforts to Influence Local Policy Part II: Participation Across Local Policies Chapter 3: Policy Characteristics and Patterns of Participation Chapter 4: Policy Entrepreneurs and the Opportunity to Participate Chapter 5: Local Newspapers and Participation Chapter 6: Social Conflict and Participation Part III: How Citizens Participate Chapter 7: Participatory Strategies and Tactics: An Overview Chapter 8: Public Meetings and the Democratic Process Chapter 9: The Political Value of Social Networks Part IV: Conclusion Chapter 10: The Practice of Local Democracy Appendix: Policies Discussed by Interview Respondents Notes References Tables and Figures

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Book SynopsisA leader in the successful fight for woman suffrage in Texas, Jane Yelvington McCallum (1878–1957) left an absorbing written record of an exceptionally productive life. McCallum was a wife, mother, and clubwoman; unlike most, she was also a suffrage leader, lobbyist, journalist, publicist, Democratic Party worker, and secretary of state.A Texas Suffragist brings to print two of Jane McCallum’s most important unpublished diaries, which cover the period from October 1916 through December 1919. They chronicle the struggle of Texas suffragists to win the vote from the viewpoint of one of the movement’s most active participants, and provide insight into a range of progressive causes—including prohibition, honest government, and the independence and integrity of the University of Texas—that women reformers supported in the World War I era.Editor Janet G. Humphrey has supplemented McCallum’s diaries with a selection of her letters, autobiographical fragments, and sketches that help round out the story of her personal and public life through 1919.

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Book SynopsisIn the United States, the fight to secure full civil rights for African American people has endured for centuries. The movement has included many voices, among them, working people, charismatic activists, musicians and artists, the LGBTQIA community, veterans, suburbanites, and elected officials. Moving from the labor struggles of the 1930s to the sit-ins and boycotts of midcentury, and the Black Lives Matter protests of today, this expansive volume brings together first-person accounts, political documents and speeches, and historical photographs from each region of the country. Designed for use in courses and engaging for general readers, this new compilation is the most diverse, most inclusive, and most comprehensive resource available for teaching and learning about the civil rights movement. With chronological and geographical depth, The New Civil Rights Movement Reader addresses a range of key topics, including youth activism, regional and local freedom struggles, voting rights, economic inequality, gender, sexuality, and culture, and the movement’s global reach.Trade Review “Including speeches, photographs, pamphlets, interviews, reports, and manifestos, this reader captures the visions and voices of charismatic leaders and everyday people. It reminds us that the civil rights movement was never just about ‘civil rights’ but culminated in today’s capacious demands for peace, justice, and human rights.”—Martha Biondi, author of To Stand and Fight: The Struggle for Civil Rights in Postwar New York City and The Black Revolution on Campus “The New Civil Rights Movement Reader is the pedagogical tool that many of us have been waiting for! Finally, educators have the major organizers, organizations, and documents of the long civil rights movement at their fingertips in order to help students to challenge conventional understandings of movement leaders, thinkers, and strategies.”—Ashley Farmer, author of Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era “In a world of rapidly changing headlines and a cacophony of digital distractions and unchecked opinions, Parker and McWilliams return us to the sources to quiet the noise in order to hear from those who walked the walk for freedom.”—FranÇoise N. Hamlin, author of Crossroads at Clarksdale: The Black Freedom Struggle in the Mississippi Delta after World War II “This wonderful volume will help to reshape how we understand, and teach, the civil rights movement. For its impressive chronological scope and wide geographic range, The New Civil Rights Movement Reader has no parallel.”—Jason Sokol, author of All Eyes Are Upon Us: Race and Politics from Boston to Brooklyn and The Heavens Might Crack: The Death and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

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Book SynopsisEvery major decision governing our diverse, majority-female, and increasingly liberal country bears the stamp of the United States Senate, an institution controlled by people who are almost exclusively white, overwhelmingly male, and disproportionately conservative. Although they do not represent a majority of Americans—and will not for the foreseeable future—today’s Republican senators possess the power to block most legislation. Once known as “the world’s greatest deliberative body,” the Senate has become one of the greatest threats to our democracy. How did this happen? In Kill Switch, Senate insider Adam Jentleson contends that far from reflecting the Framers’ vision, the Senate has been transformed over the decades by a tenacious minority of white conservatives. From John Calhoun in the mid-1800s to Mitch McConnell in the 2010s, their primary weapon has been the filibuster, or the requirement that most legislation secure the support of a supermajority of senators. Yet, as Jentleson reveals, the filibuster was not a feature of the original Senate and, in allowing a determined minority to gridlock the federal government, runs utterly counter to the Framers’ intent. For much of its history, the filibuster was used primarily to prevent civil rights legislation from becoming law. But more recently, Republicans have refined it into a tool for imposing their will on all issues, wielding it to thwart an increasingly progressive American majority represented by Barack Obama’s agenda and appointees. Under Donald Trump, McConnell merged the filibuster with rigid leadership structures initially forged by Lyndon Johnson, in the process surrendering the Senate’s independence and centrality, as infamously shown by its acquiescence in Trump’s impeachment trial. The result is a failed institution and a crippled democracy. Taking us into the Capitol Hill backrooms where the institution’s decline is most evident, Jentleson shows that many of the greatest challenges of our era—partisan polarization, dark money, a media culture built on manufactured outrage—converge within the Senate. Even as he charts the larger forces that have shaped the institution where he served, Jentleson offers incisive portraits of the powerful senators who laid the foundation for the modern Senate, from Calhoun to McConnell to LBJ’s mentor, Richard Russell, to the unapologetic racist Jesse Helms. An essential, revelatory investigation, Kill Switch ultimately makes clear that unless we immediately and drastically reform the Senate’s rules and practices—starting with reforming the filibuster—we face the prospect of permanent minority rule in America.Trade Review"Adam Jentleson’s Kill Switch is the most exquisitely timed book I’ve encountered in years. Jentleson’s explanation of the filibuster’s ignominious roots, and of the mendacious arguments made today by its defenders, is careful and thorough and exacting. Every senator should be forced to read it and then reread it." -- Michael Tomasky - New York Review of Books"[An] excellent, surprising new book . . . Jentleson is knowledgeable and adept, offering an account of increasingly flagrant obstruction that culminates in the age of McConnell." -- Benjamin Wallace-Wells - The New Yorker"An impeccably timed book. . . . In Kill Switch, Jentleson explains how ‘the world’s greatest deliberative body’ has come to carry out its work without much greatness or even deliberation, serving instead as a place where ambitious legislation goes to die. . . . [Jentleson’s] intimacy with the Senate turns out to be his book’s greatest strength. Jentleson understands the inner workings of the institution, down to the most granular details, showing precisely how arcane procedural rules can be leveraged to dramatic effect." -- Jennifer Szalai - New York Times"[L]eading Democrats, including Reid and former president Barack Obama, are pressing for a sweeping rehab of the “home” Biden has found so comfortable. Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy, a new book by Adam Jentleson, makes for a powerful brief on their behalf… a compelling read." -- Kathy Kiely - Washington Post"[A]n important new book… Adam Jentleson offers a harrowing portrait of how anti-majoritarian dysfunction has paralyzed the U.S. Senate… he writes with an insider’s knowledge… As the Senate has deviated further and further from majoritarian norms, the House and the state legislatures have followed. Among the great merits of Jentleson’s Kill Switch is that it reminds us how recent this trend is." -- David Frum - The Atlantic"[P]erfectly timed… authoritative and well-documented." -- Lloyd Green - The Guardian"[A] powerful historical account." -- Julian Zelizer - CNN.com"[C]harts the rise and repeated mutations of the filibuster… Jentleson assesses the chamber without the institutional nostalgia that tends to infect its alumni. He ably punctures the propaganda its advocates created to defend it (primarily a tool to allow the South from being outnumbered in Congress by the North, first on slavery, and later on civil rights)." -- Jonathan Chait - New York"[A] well-crafted call for reform… lively and effective… enlivened with war stories… Jentleson’s point in retelling the history is to drive a truck through defenders’ two leading talking points. First, the filibuster was never about the principle of unlimited debate. That was always a fig leaf for minority power. Second, its effects are not symmetric; no reason to cool it on reform because the shoe will eventually be on the other foot. Democrats want more from the federal government and need legislation to enact it." -- Daniel Schlozman - n+1"Informative and timely... A startling read that will provoke tough questions about governance, this is highly recommended to all interested in government reform." -- Library Journal, starred review"Engrossing... Jentleson skillfully clarifies many arcane legislative procedures and brings a wide range of historical episodes to vivid life. Readers will be galvanized to make the issue of Senate reform a priority." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review"In Kill Switch, Adam Jentleson has created both an essential portrait of a Senate—and a political system—in crisis, as well as a crystal-clear analysis of how to save it. Combining prodigious research with the experience of serving at the right hand of Harry Reid, this is a necessary book for understanding why the Senate has become the key impediment to governance in America. Every member of the US Senate should read it, and so should the rest of us." -- Ezra Klein, New York Times bestselling author of Why We’re Polarized"Kill Switch is a damning account of how a tool honed to maintain white supremacy has come to cost us all. After reading Jentleson's book, you'll understand why President Obama called the filibuster a Jim Crow relic, and you'll want to join the movement to end it, for the sake of our economy, our democracy, and our planet." -- Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together"Adam Jentleson is a creature of the Senate and no one understands it better than he does. This iconic American institution has been severely damaged by feckless Republican senators who kowtow to every erratic action of Donald Trump. Jentleson understands restoring the Senate to the Framer’s vision as an exceptionally strong deliberative body is essential to restoring our democracy." -- Harry Reid, former U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader"The Senate is now profoundly rigged, with rules that make it easy to pass tax cuts for the rich and to pack the courts for the powerful, but allow the minority party to block bills to assist ordinary families. The Senate is now the graveyard for bills to improve health care, housing, education, worker rights, or to tackle issues like criminal justice, immigration, gun safety, or climate chaos. The biggest culprit of this corrupted, paralyzed Senate is the filibuster, which was born out of the determination of white, wealthy, privileged interests to block civil rights for minority Americans. If you want to understand the Senate’s descent, and its potential path back to relevance, and how vital that path is to restoring a government ‘of, by, and for the people,’ then this book is essential reading." -- Senator Jeff Merkley"[A] must-read." -- Anand Giridharadas, bestselling author of Winners Take All"The Senate is the epicenter of American political dysfunction: the place where ideas with broad support are sent to die while those backed by plutocrats and extremists are set into law. In this analytically rich yet highly readable insider account, Adam Jentleson shows why today’s undemocratic Senate is an affront to the Framers’ vision—and how we can fix it." -- Jacob Hacker, best-selling coauthor of Let Them Eat Tweets and Winner-Take-All Politics"A provocative portrait of a dysfunctional—by design, it seems—U.S. Senate.... The Senate has been in a long state of decline, writes Jentleson, public affairs director at Democracy Forward and former deputy chief of staff to Sen. Harry Reid.... An astute and maddening account of a broken institution and, in turn, a broken democracy." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Book Review New and Noteworthy Book This collection of 19 essays on democracy, equal justice, and citizenship “exhorts Americans to love the nation they have by becoming the nation they want” (The Washington Post). What does it mean to be an engaged American in today’s divided political landscape, and how do we restore hope in our country? In a collection of “civic sermons” delivered at gatherings around the nation, popular advocate for active citizenship Eric Liu takes on these thorny questions and provides inspiration and solace in a time of anger, fear, and dismay over the state of the Union. Here are 19 stirring explorations of current and timeless topics about democracy, liberty, equal justice, and powerful citizenship. This book will energize you to get involved, in ways both large and small, to help rebuild a country that you’re proud to call home. Become America will challenge you to rehumanize our politics and rekindle a spirit of love in civic life.Trade Review“Eric Liu writes with deep patriotism and bracing candor about history and our own hearts. This powerful book will remind Americans how to live like citizens capable of keeping a republic. It’s a very needed book for our times and an inspirational one as well.” —Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs“[This] collection is like a penetrating time-lapse movie of the American mind...[Liu's] great contribution is to show how to mix conviction on racial matters with humility and gentleness. Moreover, he is always pushing toward an American creed that moves beyond both the white monoculture and the fracturing multiculturalism. He is always pushing toward a national story large enough to contain all the hybrid voices.”—David Brooks, The New York Times“The conceptually most important part of Liu’s new book [Become America] is its forthright argument that active citizenship should be a civic religion...Many of the sermons [within] address specifics of how to convert a hazy concern about civic engagement to feasible to-do goals for the next day or week or year.”—The Atlantic“This inspirational guide will speak to readers looking for encouragement and a path to meaningful civic engagement.” —Publishers Weekly“With great generosity and hope, Become America calls forward our history to point to our expansive potential as civic beings. This is a work of tremendous grace, love, and reach as it crosses boundaries to illuminate our shared humanity.”—Claudia Rankine, author of Citizen: An American Lyric“Eric Liu has a rare gift for decoding the texts and subtexts of our politics and history. Become America is a wise, deep, and beautifully written look at the American civic soul.” —Henry Louis Gates Jr., Harvard professor and host of Finding Your Roots on PBS “This collection of essays exhorts Americans to love the nation they have by becoming the nation they want.”—The Washington Post“There is a fundamental decency at the core of the sermons, an impulse to call us to our best selves, both individually and collectively.”—Los Angeles Review of Books“[T]here has been, across the country, a disinvestment in civic education, which is why [Eric] Liu started Citizen University, a program that travels the country teaching people of all ages the lost art of civics.” —CBS Sunday Morning

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Book SynopsisA fresh argument for rioting and looting as our most powerful tools for dismantling white supremacy. Looting -- a crowd of people publicly, openly, and directly seizing goods -- is one of the more extreme actions that can take place in the midst of social unrest. Even self-identified radicals distance themselves from looters, fearing that violent tactics reflect badly on the broader movement.But Vicky Osterweil argues that stealing goods and destroying property are direct, pragmatic strategies of wealth redistribution and improving life for the working class -- not to mention the brazen messages these methods send to the police and the state. All our beliefs about the innate righteousness of property and ownership, Osterweil explains, are built on the history of anti-Black, anti-Indigenous oppression.From slave revolts to labor strikes to the modern-day movements for climate change, Black lives, and police abolition, Osterweil makes a convincing case for rioting and looting as weapons that bludgeon the status quo while uplifting the poor and marginalized. In Defense of Looting is a history of violent protest sparking social change, a compelling reframing of revolutionary activism, and a practical vision for a dramatically restructured society.

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Book SynopsisPolitical theorist Michael Walzer''s classic guide is a perfect introduction to social activism, including what-to-do advice for deciding which issues to take on, organizing, fundraising, and providing effective leadershipPolitical Action is a how-to book for activists that was written at one of the darkest moments of the Nixon administration and remains no less timely and intelligent and useful today. Michael Walzer draws on his extensive engagement in the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s to lay out the practical steps necessary to keep movement politics alive both in victory and in defeat. What do people need to do when out of outrage or fear of looming disaster they come together to demand change? Should they focus on one or several issues? Should they form coalitions? What can and can’t be accomplished through electoral politics? How can movements operate democratically? What is effective leadership? Walzer addresses such questions with clarity, concision, wisdom, and wit in a book that everywhere insists not only on the centrality of movement politics to the health of democratic societies but on the deep satisfaction that is to be found there. Political Action is both an indispensable resource for activists and a lasting and inspiring summons to arms.

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Book SynopsisThroughout human history, great and free nations have been built on noble dreams. Recently, in some once promising nations, dreams of betterment and possibility, have been effectively compromised. The current political landscape, featuring cold partisan interest, calculated distraction, divisive fear mongering, negativity, and voter disillusionment, has enabled a perfect storm of toxic dysfunction. To make matters worse, personal integrity and accountability have become almost non-existent in political leaders. In such an environment, dreams of social, economic and ecological justice can easily be thwarted. Progress can become much more selective, favouring power and privilege. This handbook integrates critical thinking and media literacy to refocus democratic dreams on more constructive collective pursuits, to re-energize dreamers, and to help hold elected leaders more accountable for their actions and omissions. It is important to speak truth to power, and justice to privilege, in order to empower dreamers

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Book SynopsisIncluding material and photographs not included in most of the 100 other books about the champion, Ishmael Reed's The Complete Muhammad Ali is more than just a biography - it is a fascinating portrait of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. An honest, balanced portrayal of Ali, the book includes voices that have been omitted from other books. It charts Ali's evolution from Black Nationalism to a universalism, but does not discount the Nation of Islam and Black Nationalism's important influence on his intellectual development. Filipino American author Emil Guillermo speaks about how The Thrilla In Manila brought the Philippines into the 20th century. Fans of Muhammad Ali, boxing fans, and those interested in modern African American history and the Nation of Islam will be fascinated by this biography by an accomplished American author.Trade ReviewIn The Complete Muhammad Ali, Ishmael Reed reveals fresh information and dozens of new ideas about a subject whose meaning has become increasingly difficult to tap. This book is definitely worth your time." —Michael Ezra, author, Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon"The pre-eminent African American novelist, essayist, and poet Ishmael Reed's latest book, The Complete Muhammad Ali, stands as one of Reed's most important projects to date . . . if you want to engage with the spirit of the man [Ali] in his time, and get punched by the prose of one of our greatest living writers, The Complete Muhammad Ali is the book for you." —Brian Flota, thehairsplitter.com"This expansive masterpiece . . . There are so many new revelations about Elijah Muhammad, Muhammad Ali, the Nation of Islam, and Black Nationalism to praise The Complete Muhammad Ali about. Suffice it to say that Reed's book is a masterful contribution to our understanding and appreciation of the legacy of Muhammad Ali, Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam, Black Nationalism, and what it means to be a black athlete or sports person in America." —Pierre-Damien Mvuyekure, Professor, Department of Languages and Literature, Northern Iowa University; counterpunch.org

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Book SynopsisIn the fall of 2011, a small protest camp in downtown Manhattan exploded into a global uprising, sparked in part by the violent overreactions of the police. An unofficial record of this movement, Occupy! combines adrenalin-fueled first-hand accounts of the early days and weeks of Occupy Wall Street with contentious debates and thoughtful reflections, featuring the editors and writers of the celebrated n+1, as well as some of the world's leading radical thinkers, such as Slavoj Zizek, Angela Davis, and Rebecca Solnit.The book conveys the intense excitement of those present at the birth of a counterculture, while providing the movement with a serious platform for debating goals, demands, and tactics. Articles address the history of the "horizontalist" structure at OWS; how to keep a live-in going when there is a giant mountain of laundry building up; how very rich the very rich have become; the messages and meaning of the "We are the 99%" tumblr website; occupations in Oakland, Boston, Atlanta, and elsewhere; what happens next; and much more.Trade ReviewOccupy! abounds with insights on how the occupiers have dealt with internal challenges to their experiment in direct democracy. -- Andrew Ross * Guardian *Both analytical and full of vivid experience ... These blog-style pieces are interspersed with more substantive writings, which are the true strength of the collection ... but most interesting are those by lesser-known writers who bring us vivid historical analyses of various aspects of the occupations. -- Michael Sayeau * Observer *Unlike most quickie publications, the book is gorgeous, a testament to beautiful book design ... the essays are thoughtful pieces of first-person reportage. [A] clear-eyed and sober examination of the dream world that we created this fall, along with a few brief, tentative explorations of what it will become in the future. It's also an excellent proof-of-concept for speedily published book-length journalism that does work blogs and newspapers simply can't do. This is not some dashed-off smear of a money-making scheme; I recommend it heartily. -- Paul Constant * The Stranger *A heart warming anthology of the voices involved in this surprising grass roots movement. -- Robert Birnbaum * Our Man in Boston *Occupy!, an anthology from the occasional Occupy Gazette published by n+1, includes ... a lovely piece on the difficulties of organising an occupation's laundry, which works as a handy metaphor for some of the movement's larger challenges. * The Economist *

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Book SynopsisWomen from all over Arkansas—left out of the civil rights granted bythe post–Civil War Reconstruction Amendments—took part in a longstruggle to gain the primary civil right of American citizens: voting. The state’s capital city of Little Rock served as the focal point not only for suffrage work in Arkansas, but also for the state’s contribution to the nationwide nonviolent campaign for women’s suffrage that reached its climax between 1913 and 1920. Based on original research, Cahill’s book relates the history of some of those who contributed to this victorious struggle, reveals long-forgotten photographs, includes a map of the locations of meetings and rallies, and provides a list of Arkansas suffragists who helped ensure that discrimination could no longer exclude women from participation in the political life of the state and nation.

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Book SynopsisOfficial Companion to the Library of Congress Exhibition.The campaign for women’s suffrage—considered the largest reform movement in American history—lasted more than seven decades. The struggle was not for the fainthearted. For years, determined women organized, lobbied, paraded, petitioned, lectured, picketed, and faced imprisonment in pursuit of the right to vote. Drawing from the Library’s extensive collections of photographs, personal papers, and the organizational records of such figures as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Church Terrell, Carrie Chapman Catt, the National Woman’s Party, and the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Shall Not Be Denied traces the movement leading to the women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls, the contributions of suffragists who worked to persuade women that they deserved the same rights as men, the divergent political strategies and internal divisions they overcame, the push for a federal women’s suffrage amendment, and the legacy of the movement. A companion to the exhibition staged by the Library of Congress, which opened on June 4, 2019—the 100th anniversary of the US Senate’s passage of the suffrage amendment that would become the 19th amendment—Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote is part of the national commemoration of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage.Published by Rutgers University Press in association with the Library of Congress. Trade Review“This artfully presented collection of photographs, broadsheets, cartoons, pamphlets and varied other illustrations of women’s struggle for equality in America, along with illuminating prose, makes it clear that the battle for rights has been bitter, sometimes brutal. And it’s not over yet. Though it might make you mad—read it and learn!” -- Cokie Roberts * journalist and author of Founding Mothers, Ladies of Liberty, Capital Dames *"The history of this struggle is one of celebration and setbacks, commanded by dynamic and formidable personalities—change-makers—who believed in relentless action and civil disobedience in the name of equality and justice. In fighting for the right to vote, women formed national political organizations, developed new strategies for protest, and brought women into the public sphere in new and more visible ways. These advances laid the groundwork for civic action that has been emulated by those working for other civil rights causes." -- Carla D. Hayden * Librarian of Congress, from the foreword *Table of ContentsContents Foreword by Carla D. Hayden 1 Building a Movement 2 New Tactics for a New Generation 3 Fortitude, Sacrifice, Victory 4 The Fight Continues Acknowledgments Bibliography / Further Reading Index Illustration Credits

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Book SynopsisThe Citizens Campaign, co-founded by the author and his wife, Caroline B. Pozycki, offers citizen leadership training and citizen leadership service opportunities for regular citizens. CITIZEN POWER gives all Americans the know how to become no-blame problem solvers and be part of what is emerging as a new model for a citizen driven national public service.Trade Review"The Citizens Campaign Unveils Online Course Empowering Everyone to Take Personal Responsibility for Healing Our Political Divide" * Insider NJ *Table of ContentsCover Title Copyright Contents Dedication Author's Note Acknowledgement Introduction Chapter One. The 4 Power Centers: Prime Decision-Making Arenas of Local Government THE LOCAL GOVERNING BODY (Mayor & Council) and Your Legal Rights to Participate in Decision-Making THE SCHOOL BOARD and Your Legal Rights to Participate in Decision-Making THE PLANNING BOARD and Your Legal Rights to Participate in Decision-Making THE LOCAL POLITICAL PARTY and Your Legal Rights to Participate in Decision-Making Chapter Two. Citizen Power in the 21st Century Expanded citizen problem solving power through advances in technology Expanded citizen rights to participate in government decision-making Accessing current policy details (OPRA-the Open Public Records Act) Introducing your solutions OPMA-the Open Public Meetings Act Chapter Three. The Power of Practical Solutions: The 3 principles of pragmatic problem solving Solutions should be based on evidence of success Solutions should be cost-effective Solutions should be beneficial to the community as a whole Chapter Four. The Power of the No-Blame Approach Chapter Five. Using the Strategy of no Blame Problem Solving Identifying Your Issue and Finding Solutions Adapting Your Solution to Make It "Doable" Presenting Your Solution For Adoption Respectful Pursuit to Implementation of Your Solution Chapter Six. The No-Blame Problem Solving Guide The Key Steps Chapter Seven. Media Literacy in the Search For Solutions Chapter Eight. Powerful Roles for Citizen Problem Solvers Serving as a Civic Trustee Serving as a Solutions Advocate Serving in an Appointed Government Office Serving as a Neighborhood Political Party Representative Chapter Nine. The Civic Trust Civic Trusts. A Great Opportunity to Serve your Community and your Country Note to Non Citizens About the Author Civic Trustee Handbook Back Cover

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Book SynopsisCultures of Resistance provides new insight on a long-standing question: whether government efforts to repress social movements produce a chilling effect on dissent, or backfire and spur greater mobilization. In recent decades, the U.S. government’s repressive capacity has expanded dramatically, as the legal, technological, and bureaucratic tools wielded by agents of the state have become increasingly powerful. Today, more than ever, it is critical to understand how repression impacts the freedom to dissent and collectively express political grievances. Through analysis of activists’ rich and often deeply moving experiences of repression and resistance, the book uncovers key group processes that shape how individuals understand, experience, and weigh these risks of participating in collective action. Qualitative and quantitative analyses demonstrate that, following experiences of state repression, the achievement or breakdown of these group processes, not the type or severity of repression experienced, best explain why some individuals persist while others disengage. In doing so, the book bridges prevailing theoretical divides in social movement research by illuminating how individual rationality is collectively constructed, mediated, and obscured by protest group culture.Trade Review"Cultures of Resistance makes a major contribution to a black box in the study of social movements, namely the effects of state repression, by emphasizing the subjective experience of repression and how certain dynamics of groups and individuals affect whether repression stimulates further activism or stops it. To my knowledge, this book is indeed the first significant work to have this emphasis, and it should shape this area of social movement research for years to come." -- Steven E. Barkan * author of Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice: The Continuing American Dilemma *"Clear and accessible, her scholarship sound and comprehensible, Cultures of Resistance reflects the lived experiences of dealing with state repression with depth and nuance. Reynolds-Stenson does an excellent job of discussing the costs of repression." -- Mike King * author of When Riot Cops Are Not Enough: The Policing and Repression of Occupy Oakland *"Cultures of Resistance makes a major contribution to a black box in the study of social movements, namely the effects of state repression, by emphasizing the subjective experience of repression and how certain dynamics of groups and individuals affect whether repression stimulates further activism or stops it. To my knowledge, this book is indeed the first significant work to have this emphasis, and it should shape this area of social movement research for years to come." -- Steven E. Barkan * author of Race, Crime, and Criminal Justice: The Continuing American Dilemma *"Clear and accessible, her scholarship sound and comprehensible, Cultures of Resistance reflects the lived experiences of dealing with state repression with depth and nuance. Reynolds-Stenson does an excellent job of discussing the costs of repression." -- Mike King * author of When Riot Cops Are Not Enough: The Policing and Repression of Occupy Oakland *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements List of Tables 1: Repression, Mobilization, and the Cultural Construction of Rationality 2: A Brief History of the Policing of Dissent in the United States 3: Repression in the Eye of the Beholder 4: Shaping Experiences of Repression through Prevention, Preparation, and Support 5: “The Attempt Is Meaningful:” Redefining Protest’s Ends 6: Activist Identity Salience and Repression Resilience 7: Conclusion Appendix References Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe Citizens Campaign, co-founded by the author and his wife, Caroline B. Pozycki, offers citizen leadership training and citizen leadership service opportunities for regular citizens. CITIZEN POWER gives all Americans the know how to become no-blame problem solvers and be part of what is emerging as a new model for a citizen driven national public service.Citizen Power portal (https://thecitizenscampaign.org/register/).Trade Review“CITIZEN POWER provides proven, practical guidelines for how Americans from all backgrounds can work together on common problems. In this age of polarization that paralyzes us in facing our most severe challenges, nothing is needed more.” -- Rogers M. Smith * Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science University of Pennsylvania Past President, American Political Science Association *“By teaching citizens to be informed participants in government problem solving and giving all citizens the opportunity for public service, The Citizens Campaign is laying the foundation for a new chapter in American democracy.” -- Thomas H. Kean, Sr. * Former Governor, State of New Jersey and Chairman, 9/11 Commission *“CITIZEN POWER provides proven, practical guidelines for how Americans from all backgrounds can work together on common problems. In this age of polarization that paralyzes us in facing our most severe challenges, nothing is needed more.” -- Rogers M. Smith * Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science University of Pennsylvania Past P *“By teaching citizens to be informed participants in government problem solving and giving all citizens the opportunity for public service, The Citizens Campaign is laying the foundation for a new chapter in American democracy.” -- Thomas H. Kean, Sr. * Former Governor, State of New Jersey and Chairman, 9/11 Commission *

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Book SynopsisDie Frage, ob, wann und wie die internationale Gemeinschaft auf Verletzungen humanitärer Normen und damit verbundene humanitäre Krisen reagieren soll, gehört zweifellos zu den vieldiskutierten Themen auf der Agenda der heutigen internationalen Politik. Allerdings tauchte diese Problematik nicht erst am Ende des 20. und zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts plötzlich aus dem Nichts auf, sondern bereits im Verlauf des "langen 19. Jahrhunderts" setzte man sich kontrovers mit dieser Problematik auseinander. Anhand ausgewählter Fallbeispiele wie dem Kampf gegen den Sklavenhandel (18071890), den Militärinterventionen der europäischen Großmächte zur humanitären Nothilfe für christliche Minderheiten im Osmanischen Reich (18271878) oder dem Eingreifen der Vereinigten Staaten in den kubanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg (1898) untersucht Fabian Klose die militärische Praktik und die völkerrechtlichen Debatten zum Schutz humanitärer Normen gewaltsam einzugreifen. Insgesamt etablierte sich in dieser Epoche die Idee der humanitären Intervention als ein anerkanntes Instrumentarium in der internationalen Politik. Eine zentrale Schlüsselrolle bei der Entstehung eines neuen humanitären Interventionsverständnisses übernahm der bewaffnete internationale Kampf gegen den Sklavenhandel als Urtyp der humanitären Intervention. Als Folge kam es zur Ausbildung völkerrechtlicher Leitlinien, die als Begründung für das militärische Eingreifen in verschiedenen Krisenregionen dieser Welt dienten. Das "lange 19. Jahrhundert" kann demnach als das genuine "Jahrhundert der humanitären Intervention" charakterisiert werden, in dem es zu einer signifikanten Verzahnung von militärischem Interventionismus unter dem Banner der Humanität mit kolonialen und imperialen Projekten kam.

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Book SynopsisMenschenrechte bilden die Grundlage von Gerechtigkeit, doch sie geraten zunehmend unter Druck. Im Spannungsfeld zwischen dem universalen Anspruch der Menschenrechte, der Partikularität menschlichen Lebens und den Herausforderungen der Weltwirtschaft ergeben sich bisher ungelöste Fragen. Der Arbeitsweise von Ingeborg G. Gabriel folgend, werden in diesem Band aktuelle Herausforderungen analysiert und mögliche Zukunftsperspektiven aus unterschiedlichen Disziplinen beleuchtet. Religionen aus einer Innen- und Außenperspektive kommt dabei eine zentrale Rolle zu, dialogfördernd zu wirken und für Lösungen zu sensibilisieren. Im Hinblick auf eine neue Ordnung unserer Weltwirtschaft werden praktische Wege für eine Revision der Hausregeln aufgezeigt. So ist der Band eine Einladung zum interdisziplinären, interreligiösen und ökumenischen Weiterdenken, um die Welt gemeinsam zu einem gerechteren und friedlicheren Ort zu machen. Human rights as the basis of justice are under increasing pressure. In the background, there are still unsolved questions about the relationship between the universal claim to human rights and the particularity of human life, but also the challenges of the global economy. Following the research approach by Ingeborg G. Gabriel, current challenges are analyzed and possible future perspectives from different disciplines are examined. Religions from an internal and external perspective play the central role in promoting dialogues. With regard to a new order of our world economy, the volume shows practical ways for a revision of the house rules. The book is an invitation to interdisciplinary, interreligious and ecumenical thinking, in order to make the world together a more just and peaceful place.

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Book Synopsis

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