Review Of Paula Young Shelton's 'Child Of The Civil Rights Movement'

In the book “Child of the Civil Rights Movement” by Paula Young Shelton, whose a daughter of a Civil Rights activist, Andrew Young, discusses a child’s perspective on the civil rights movement. Shelton lived in New York till one day her parents seen the broadcast of the freedom rides. Following that, her parents decided to move to the heart of the problem and contribute to the movement personally when she was 4 years old. Shelton’s parents moved them to the deep South were whites had everything and blacks went without. Shelton goes on to describe how her family came to be part of the movement, to personally knowing Martin Luther King JR, and knowing other community leaders. Since her father was an activist, Shelton was able watch and listen to the struggles, and eventually joining with her family in the

she called him uncle, not because they were blood related, but because the King’s and Shelton’s family were so close. Shelton remembers sitting under the kitchen table and listening to the adults talk loudly and angrily about what was going on and the organizing the third march to protest from Selma to Montgomery. Shelton remembers her father being gone a lot due to the movement and her mom being home to take care of her and her sisters. She remembers her father being beaten sometimes due to the protests or being thrown into jail due to the Jim Crow Laws. Shelton’s spirit did not dwindle. She even joined in on the March to Selma and when she watched The Voting Rights Act of 1965 on their small black and white tv, it was a joyous moment. With pictures flashing across the screen Shelton and her sisters were happily pointing out people they knew, the joyful songs they sung, the prayers, friends and families, and even the tired feet of that day. It made me glow with pride to know that I had played one small part. But even then I also knew that we’d won just one battle and there were many more to