The 2012 Reading List Theme for The Bibliophiles is The Post Civil-Rights Era.
We wanted to delve into the view of African-American life, politics, culture, opinions, and view-points being written and discussed now that 57+ years have passed since the Civil Rights Movement began. Of course, many could say that the Civil Rights Movement began when slaves were brough to these shores; others can say that the insitution of Jim Crow laws beginning in 1890 marks the start of the Movement; yet others will say that the U.S. Supreme Court Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 that deemed “separate but equal” as the law of the land was the line of demarcation. Our reading will take the view of the Civil Rights Movement, often calculated as beginning in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education or the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956. Nonetheless, the titles selected are fascinating and enriching. We know they will lead to wonderful and thought-provoking book discussions. We earnestly look forward to this year of reading!