Chronicles the lives of Black Americans from the years 1896 until 1954. This book discusses the forces leading to legal segregation; specific segregation laws, federal policy and segregation on a national level; and, early efforts to achieve civil rights.

Told through unforgettable first-person accounts, photographs, and other primary sources, and published in association with the Library of Congress, this book is an overview of racial segregation and early civil rights efforts in the United States from the 1890s to 1954, a period known as the Jim Crow years. Photos & illustrations.