Robert Parris Moses
Author | : Laura Visser-Maessen |
Publisher | : UNC Press Books |
Total Pages | : 457 |
Release | : 2016-02-24 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781469627991 |
ISBN-13 | : 146962799X |
Rating | : 4/5 (91 Downloads) |
Download or read book Robert Parris Moses written by Laura Visser-Maessen and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2016-02-24 with total page 457 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most influential leaders in the civil rights movement, Robert Parris Moses was essential in making Mississippi a central battleground state in the fight for voting rights. As a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Moses presented himself as a mere facilitator of grassroots activism rather than a charismatic figure like Martin Luther King Jr. His self-effacing demeanor and his success, especially in steering the events that led to the volatile 1964 Freedom Summer and the formation of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, paradoxically gave him a reputation of nearly heroic proportions. Examining the dilemmas of a leader who worked to cultivate local leadership, historian Laura Visser-Maessen explores the intellectual underpinnings of Moses's strategy, its achievements, and its struggles. This new biography recasts Moses as an effective, hands-on organizer, safeguarding his ideals while leading from behind the scenes. By returning Moses to his rightful place among the foremost leaders of the movement, Visser-Maessen testifies to Moses's revolutionary approach to grassroots leadership and the power of the individual in generating social change.