This is just a guide to point out important things in the book that you might

miss if you are not familiar with the civil rights movement and 1960s
American politics. This guide is not meant to highlight all the important
things in the bookmerely point out important things that might be easy to
miss. There are many important things you must know that I do not mention
in this brief guidemany important events should be obvious (such as the
Freedom Rides) and they are not mentioned in this guide.
You will absolutely need to read the book and you will not be able to do well
on the next test (as well as quizzes and the final), if you have not read the
book. Knowing the things below is not enough so please do not think this is
somehow a replacement for reading the book. To succeed, you will have to
read what will hopefully be an enjoyable book that reads much like a novel
even though it is a true story.
Always keep in mind you are reading this book to learn about the civil rights
movement and 1960s politics (and beyond!)you are not reading this to
become an expert on John Lewis. The important events should mostly be
obvious since he devotes entire chapters to various events.

Important Organizations (He mentions many, but these are the ones
that are very important)
Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)
Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP)
Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)

These are people you might not have ever heard of before, but they
are REALLY important. There are other important people, but they will
be totally obvious (such as Martin Luther King)
Diane Nash
Stokely Carmichael
A. Philip Randolphchapter 11 has great stuff about him
Fannie Lou Hamer
Governor George Wallace
J. Edgar Hoover

Below are a few notes to help guide you. This is meant to help you speed
through stuff that is not very important, but not miss stuff that may seem
unimportant to you that is actually really important. Again, this is not meant
to summarize all the important stuffyou will need to know things not listed
below that should be obvious to you. These are mostly things that will also
show up in the textbook and lecture, but you will understand much better
after you have read this memoir.

Part 1This is the only part that you can probably read really fast (though it
might be hard to really get into the book if you do not read it carefully). Make
sure you have a basic understanding of what his childhood was likefamily,
education, etc.
Part 2This is when we get into more important things but you can probably
read chapter 4 quickly. Make sure you do not miss how he explains passive
resistance, how women in the movement were treated, how they trained,
how the movement involved both whites and African Americans. Notice pg.
176divisions!
Part 3You will hopefully find this fascinatingthe book starts to get really
interesting in Part 3. Pay attention to how JFK and his administration dealt
with the movement.
Part 4Do not miss the divisions in the movementa major one really
comes out in this part (though there are many others). Pg 207-8North v.
South, pg. 214women in the movement.
Part 5Absolutely do not miss what happened at the Democratic National
Convention and what Lewis says about it. How did the white Mississippi
delegates react? This is VERY important. Notice also what Lewis says about
white liberals. What does Malcolm X say about Martin Luther King?
Part 6Notice opinions about Martin Luther King and mainstream Americans
reaction to Bloody Sunday. Do not miss Lyndon Johnsons speech. Pay
attention to how Selma pushed many away from non-violence. The
movement also began a new phasepay attention to this. What are the
results of this major shift? All the major events of 1968 are important (some
are really obvious), but do not miss things like the events in Chicago at the
Democratic Convention. Notice how white mainstream America reacted to
Black Power, etc.