Civil Rights

Former Black Panther Elaine Brown. Her new book, A Taste of Power, tells the story of her rise to the head of the Black Panther Party in the mid-70s and her later break with the Party.

Ed Ward concludes his two-part history of the politically-minded singer and songwriter. Mayfield was recruited by Columbia Records so that label could compete with Motown. After a few career missteps with other labels, Mayfield scored two hits from his soundtrack the film Superfly.

Chestnut earned his law degree at Washington D.C.'s Howard University, but soon returned to his hometown of Selma, Alabama, where he opened a law office -- before legal protections like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed. His new memoir is called Black in Selma.

Journalist Taylor Branch says most histories of the African American civil rights movement written by white people are missing heart and context. He seeks to avoid this pitfall in his new book, Parting the Waters. Branch joins Fresh Air to discuss the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. in black churches, and how John F. Kennedy and J. Edgar Hoover attempted to control him for their own ends.

Book critic John Leonard review Taylor Branch's new book about the Civil Rights era. Branch argues that the early 60s, until now identified as the Kennedy era, ought to be identified with Martin Luther King Jr.

Documentary filmmaker Henry Hampton. He produced the television program "Eyes on the Prize," which documents the history of the civil rights movement -- including the impact press coverage had on the cause.

Novelist Rita Mae Brown joins Fresh Air to discuss her participation in the 1960s and 1970s in civil rights, women's, and gay and lesbian movements.

James Farmer returns to Fresh Air to share memories of the 1961 Freedom Rides and later race riots that erupted during later that decade. His new memoir, Lay Bare the Heart, has just been published.

John O'Neal cofounded the Free Southern Theater, a company closely aligned with the black civil rights movement. Louise Anderson is a prominent African American storyteller. They are both featured in the National Festival of Black Storytellers at Philadelphia's Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum.

As the founder of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which fought for civil rights using nonviolent tactics, Farmer organized 1961's Freedom Rides.

Before beginning production, Young spends weeks living the life of his movies' characters to more authentically capture their experiences. His films often center on the injustices committed against marginalized people.

In light of the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Department of Justice is considering requiring all Iranian students in the U.S. to report to the I.N.S. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit in response. A.C.L.U. executive director Ira Glasser explains how checks on government help protect constitutional rights.

Scholar, activist and singer Bernice Reagon was a member of SNCC's Freedom Singers. She talks about the history of songs associated with the Civil Rights Movement.