Overview

In 1965 the drive for black voting rights in the south culminated in the epic Selma to Montgomery Freedom March. After brutal state police beatings stunned the nation on “Bloody Sunday,” troops under federal court order lined the route as the march finally made its way to the State Capitol and a triumphant address by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. But within hours klan terror struck, claiming the life of one of the marchers, Viola Liuzzo, a Detroit mother of five. Turner offers an insider’s view of the three trials that took place over the following nine months—which finally resulted in the conviction of the killers. Despite eyewitness testimony by an FBI informant who was riding in the car with the killers, two all-white state juries refused to convict. It took a team of Civil Rights Division lawyers, led by the legendary John Doar, to produce the landmark jury verdict that klansmen were no longer above the law. This is must reading today, as the voting rights won in Selma come under renewed attack. Explore several court documents, including court transcripts, exhibits, and memoranda on Fulcrum.org.

Full Product Details

9780472053742

Table of Contents

Reviews

James P. Turner's compelling picture of state prosecutions marred by local prejudice and the successful federal prosecution in this landmark case is a timely reminder of why we need a strong Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Justice when state law enforcement fails to protect our rights. --Brian K. Landsberg, McGeorge School of Law Jim Turner recounts the true story of how a team of skilled federal lawyers accomplished the seemingly impossible--convicting the klansmen who murdered Viola Liuzzo in 1965--a victory for honest, non-partisan civil rights enforcement that ended a hundred years of klan immunity to the sting of justice. --Roy Reed, New York Times reporter who covered Selma and the Liuzzo trials Fifty years ago, American justice triumphed over the Alabama klan--thanks to the fearless work of the Civil Rights Division. Jim Turner's moving account reminds us that we can overcome the darkest attacks on human freedom, a lesson well worth remembering today as we confront new challenges to our basic civil rights. --Deval Patrick, former Governor of Massachusetts and former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights

James P. Turner's compelling picture of state prosecutions marred by local prejudice and the successful federal prosecution in this landmark case is a timely reminder of why we need a strong Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Justice when state law enforcement fails to protect our rights. --Brian K. Landsberg, McGeorge School of Law Jim Turner recounts the true story of how a team of skilled federal lawyers accomplished the seemingly impossible--convicting the klansmen who murdered Viola Liuzzo in 1965--a victory for honest, non-partisan civil rights enforcement that ended a hundred years of klan immunity to the sting of justice. --Roy Reed, New York Times reporter who covered Selma and the Liuzzo trials Fifty years ago, American justice triumphed over the Alabama klan--thanks to the fearless work of the Civil Rights Division. Jim Turner's moving account reminds us that we can overcome the darkest attacks on human freedom, a lesson well worth remembering today as we confront new challenges to our basic civil rights. --Deval Patrick, former Governor of Massachusetts and former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights

Jim Turner recounts the true story of how a team of skilled federal lawyers accomplished the seemingly impossible--convicting the klansmen who murdered Viola Liuzzo in 1965--a victory for honest, non-partisan civil rights enforcement that ended a hundred years of klan immunity to the sting of justice. --Roy Reed, New York Times reporter who covered Selma and the Liuzzo trials James P. Turner's compelling picture of state prosecutions marred by local prejudice and the successful federal prosecution in this landmark case is a timely reminder of why we need a strong Civil Rights Division in the U.S. Department of Justice when state law enforcement fails to protect our rights. --Brian K. Landsberg, McGeorge School of Law Fifty years ago, American justice triumphed over the Alabama klan--thanks to the fearless work of the Civil Rights Division. Jim Turner's moving account reminds us that we can overcome the darkest attacks on human freedom, a lesson well worth remembering today as we confront new challenges to our basic civil rights. --Deval Patrick, former Governor of Massachusetts and former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights

“Jim Turner’s account of finally ending klan terror in the south calls each of us to recommit ourselves to do all we can to finish the work begun at Selma. There’s still work left to be done. Get out there and push and pull, until we redeem the soul of America.” —Congressman John Lewis, who led the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Freedom Marches

Author Information

James P. Turner served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General, the senior career lawyer in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, for 25 years under seven consecutive Presidents of both parties.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available