Play Book Tag discussion

Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America, by Gilbert King,

This is a fascinating and important story about civil rights movement in the middle of the 20th century. It showcases the efforts of the NAACP, and Thurgood Marshall who eventually became the first black Supreme Court Justice. 4 black men were accused of raping a white women in Groveland Florida. Many civil rights workers, lawyers, reporters and supporters risked their lives to help the men. Despite evidence and alibis, 3 were sentenced to death. Powerful Klan members attempted to kill the lawyers on their way out of town. This book reveals a great deal about the legal system, the NAACP, civil rights, Thurgood Marshall and the people he knew. The book was well written, but might have benefited from tighter editing.

This book paired well with A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan's Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Eagan. They covered different locations and time periods, but together they provide a good view of this shameful part of US history , and the courage of those who effected great changes. I would have liked to hear a little more about Brown v Board of Ed case that went to the US supreme court.