Aldon Morris tells for the first time the complete story behind ten years that transformed America, tracing the essential role of the black community organizations that were the real power behind the civil rights movement. Drawing on interviews with over fifth key leaders, on original documents, and other firsthand material, he brings to life the people behind the scenes who led the fight to end segregation. His piercing insights into the role of local community groups, along with the efforts of the SCLC, NAACP, CORE, and SNCC, and the leadership of organizers such as Martin Luther King, Jr., E.D. Nixon, Ella Baker, Fred Schuttlesworth, and Floyd’s McKissick provide a critical new understanding of the dynamics of social change.