“Fred Blackwell’s iconic photograph of the Jackson Woolworth’s sit-in captivated me and inspired me to delve deeper into the story of what happened on that game-changing day in Mississippi movement history.”
— M.J. O’Brien
New Work
In March 1961, nine Tougaloo College students staged the first library sit-in in Jackson, Mississippi, by peacefully entering a whites-only library and reading. Their courageous act challenged Jim Crow segregation, ignited a turning point in Mississippi’s Civil Rights Movement, and inspired lasting change. Through meticulous research, O’Brien tells the story of the Tougaloo Nine, the resistance they faced, and the enduring relevance of their fight for equality.
“An amazing and historic piece of work!”
“With his book, The Tougaloo Nine, M. J. O’Brien provides an incredible service for both civil rights scholars and any reader interested in the history of the modern movement in America. Not only does O’Brien lift up a lesser known but essential story of determined young activists during the earliest stage of the nonviolent, direct-action movement in Mississippi, he helps us to understand how a small group of local people can usher in groundbreaking social change in the face of overwhelming resistance. He also connects the current moment of turmoil in American society to that past and shows us how the activism of the 1960s never vanished and continues to inform movements for social justice and civil rights to this day.”
This is a very well-written book that is compelling, engaging, and informative. I wasn’t sure that there was anything left to know about civil rights in Mississippi, but the author proved me wrong. His anecdotes are not just captivating, but they add texture and context to well-known stories and give behind-the-scenes information to never heard or under-heralded stories, giving important nuance to narratives of the freedom struggle….
This book will be a nice addition to high school, undergraduate, and graduate courses on Civil Rights History, Southern History, and Mississippi history. He shows the strategy and planning that went into several civil rights episodes (so many erroneously believe that all civil rights activity was spontaneous). I am especially pleased that the author includes episodes of struggle or failure (i.e. the first State Fair boycott). This adds important nuance to narratives on the freedom struggle…
Is available and can be purchased or ordered wherever you buy new books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and University Press of Mississippi.
Thanks in advance.
Once in a great while, an image captures the essence of an era. Three people–one black, two white–sit at a lunch counter while a horde of cigarette smoking hot shots pour catsup, sugar, and other counter condiments on the sitters’ heads and down their backs. The image strikes a chord for all who lived through those turbulent times of a changing America. And for those too young to have endured that period, it evokes an era, not that long ago, when the ordinary act of getting a cup of coffee with a friend of another race could spark a riot.
“Michael O’Brien has written a detailed history and fascinating study of one of the iconic moments of the modern civil rights movement and the powerful effect it had. . . . Readers will enjoy this behind the scenes look at an important event in movement history.”
— Julian Bond Chairman Emeritus NAACP
Is available and can be purchased or ordered wherever you buy new books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and University Press of Mississippi.
Thanks in advance.
Once in a great while, an image captures the essence of an era. Three people–one black, two white–sit at a lunch counter while a horde of cigarette smoking hot shots pour catsup, sugar, and other counter condiments on the sitters’ heads and down their backs. The image strikes a chord for all who lived through those turbulent times of a changing America. And for those too young to have endured that period, it evokes an era, not that long ago, when the ordinary act of getting a cup of coffee with a friend of another race could spark a riot.
“Michael O’Brien has written a detailed history and fascinating study of one of the iconic moments of the modern civil rights movement and the powerful effect it had. . . . Readers will enjoy this behind the scenes look at an important event in movement history.”
— Julian Bond Chairman Emeritus NAACP
