In this Book
- The Wilmington Ten: Violence, Injustice, and the Rise of Black Politics in the 1970s
- Book
- 2016
- Published by: The University of North Carolina Press
summary
In February 1971, racial tension surrounding school desegregation in Wilmington, North Carolina, culminated in four days of violence and skirmishes between white vigilantes and black residents. The turmoil resulted in two deaths, six injuries, more than $500,000 in damage, and the firebombing of a white-owned store, before the National Guard restored uneasy peace. Despite glaring irregularities in the subsequent trial, ten young persons were convicted of arson and conspiracy and then sentenced to a total of 282 years in prison. They became known internationally as the Wilmington Ten. A powerful movement arose within North Carolina and beyond to demand their freedom, and after several witnesses admitted to perjury, a federal appeals court, also citing prosecutorial misconduct, overturned the convictions in 1980.
Kenneth Janken narrates the dramatic story of the Ten, connecting their story to a larger arc of Black Power and the transformation of post-Civil Rights era political organizing. Grounded in extensive interviews, newly declassified government documents, and archival research, this book thoroughly examines the 1971 events and the subsequent movement for justice that strongly influenced the wider African American freedom struggle.
Kenneth Janken narrates the dramatic story of the Ten, connecting their story to a larger arc of Black Power and the transformation of post-Civil Rights era political organizing. Grounded in extensive interviews, newly declassified government documents, and archival research, this book thoroughly examines the 1971 events and the subsequent movement for justice that strongly influenced the wider African American freedom struggle.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- 1 Vigilante Injustice
- pp. 11-42
- 2 The Making of a Movement
- pp. 43-68
- 3 They’re Taking Our Boys Away to Prison
- pp. 69-104
- 4 Alliances and Adversity
- pp. 105-140
- 5 Free the Wilmington Ten at Once!
- pp. 141-176
- Bibliography
- pp. 223-232
- Acknowledgments
- pp. 233-236
Additional Information
ISBN
9781469624853
Related ISBN(s)
9781469624839, 9781469624846, 9781469666235, 9798890840165
MARC Record
OCLC
923254337
Pages
256
Launched on MUSE
2016-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No