Passing It On

Passing It On: Moving Stories of Activists--1960 to 2000 gathers in one volume the accounts of individuals from government, education, business, publishing, the arts, law, community groups, and activists' organizations whose stories span the decades from the days of the civil rights movement to the turn of the millennium. The editor and curator of this collection, Bev Jenai-Myers, recruited and encouraged this assembly of people, encompassing various ethnicities, cultures, philosophies, and economic standings, to reflect upon their personal experiences. Included in this listing are Dorothy Pitman-Hughes, the co-founder with Gloria Steinem of Ms. Magazine, Iris Gordy, the former VP of Motown, and International sculptor, John Soderberg, PhD.

As diverse as the individuals contributing to this collection, the chapters reveal the many facets of the work accomplished in the four decades beginning in 1960, work that advanced civil rights, women's rights, the peace movement, equal rights, senior concerns, LGBT acceptance, and mentoring. Touching upon both the personal and communal aspects of these efforts, the reflections, taken together, comprise a mosaic that illustrates the strides made in the period.

You may feel tempted to succumb to frustration over the difficulties facing the movements to advance civil rights and to foster better human relations. The look back that Passing It On offers will give you hope by reminding you of the pervasive presence and the power of many acts, both small and large, to change the course of a culture, given time and individuals' courage to contribute their efforts.