Book Review: Morris, A. D. (1984). The origins of the civil rights movement: Black communities organizing for change. New York: The Free Press.

Although Mr. Morris’ work is more than two decades old, it remains a definitive chronicle of the history of the African American Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Mr. Morris researched archival records and conducted personal interviews with forty-nine significant personalities of this movement to document the story. The depth of his research is admirable. In this book, the story of civil rights is told for posterity. The rich details augment the telling of the history and, in part, serve to correct some of the previously held erroneous beliefs about the movement. Within and beyond the details lie incredible stories of courage, persistence, sacrifice, honor, pride, and evidence of such moral responsibility that one is inspired by the actors. Additionally, the author critiqued the movement based on three theories: classical collective behavior theory, the theory of charismatic movements, and the resource mobilization theory. The theories provided a framework for both positive and negative comparisons.