Overview

The wisdom acquired during C. T. Vivian’s nine decades is generously shared in It’s in the Action, the civil rights legend’s memoir of his life and times in the movement. Born in Missouri in 1924, Vivian lived twenty-four years in Illinois before moving to Nashville, where he earned a degree in theology and joined John Lewis, Diane Nash, and others to integrate the city in 1960. After being imprisoned and beaten during the Freedom Rides, he joined Dr. King at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta and played leading roles in integration and voting rights campaigns in Birmingham, St. Augustine, and Selma. Over the next half century, he became internationally known for his work for education and civil and human rights and against racism, hatred, and economic inequality. In 2013, Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Vivian passed away peacefully in Atlanta on July 17, 2020. Vivian was never defined by discrimination and hardship, although he faced many instances of both. The late civil rights leader’s heart-wrenching and inspiring stories from a lifetime of nonviolent activism come just in time for a new generation of activists, similarly responding to systems of injustice, violence, and oppression. It’s in the Action is a record of a life dedicated to selflessness and morality, qualities achieved by Vivian that we can all aspire to. Bearing a foreword from Andrew Young, the memoir is an important addition to civil rights history and to the understanding of movement principles and strategies.

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9781588384416

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A valuable addition to the historical record ... an inspiring story of dedication and leadership.-- Kirkus Reviews C. T. Vivian was a giant of the enduring American struggle for equality and for justice. Illuminating and inspiring, his story is like his life: bold, principled, passionate, and transformative.--Jon Meacham Pulitzer Prize-winning author of His Truth Is Marching On, The Soul of America, and other books C. T. Vivian was a role model for so many of us in the 1960s era of civil rights activism, a legendary champion of nonviolence and a mighty and indispensable long-haul moral warrior for justice. This memoir gives a new generation the chance to learn about his legacy of wisdom and service in his own words.--Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president emerita, Children's Defense Fund This first memoir by C. T. Vivian, published posthumously, fairly sparkles with his humanity. It preserves the rich legacy of his life and achievements spanning decades, offering lessons about the value of courage and compassion and coming together. This is a story our next generation of civil rights activists can build on. A beautiful and important work.--Morris Dees, founder, Southern Poverty Law Center We as students in the Nashville movement felt more mature when Dr. C. T. Vivian was with us. I know what it is like to have your teacher in a jail cell with you for twenty-four hours. You never miss class.--Bernard LaFayette, civil rights activist author of In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma

A valuable addition to the historical record ... an inspiring story of dedication and leadership. -- Kirkus Reviews This first memoir by C. T. Vivian, published posthumously, fairly sparkles with his humanity. It preserves the rich legacy of his life and achievements spanning decades, offering lessons about the value of courage and compassion and coming together. This is a story our next generation of civil rights activists can build on. A beautiful and important work. -- Morris Dees, founder, Southern Poverty Law Center C. T. Vivian was a role model for so many of us in the 1960s era of civil rights activism, a legendary champion of nonviolence and a mighty and indispensable long-haul moral warrior for justice. This memoir gives a new generation the chance to learn about his legacy of wisdom and service in his own words. -- Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president emerita, Children's Defense Fund C. T. Vivian was a giant of the enduring American struggle for equality and for justice. Illuminating and inspiring, his story is like his life: bold, principled, passionate, and transformative. -- Jon Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of His Truth Is Marching On, The Soul of America, and other books We as students in the Nashville movement felt more mature when Dr. C. T. Vivian was with us. I know what it is like to have your teacher in a jail cell with you for twenty-four hours. You never miss class. -- Bernard LaFayette, civil rights activist, author of In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma

We as students in the Nashville movement felt more mature when Dr. C. T. Vivian was with us. I know what it is like to have your teacher in a jail cell with you for twenty-four hours. You never miss class. -- Bernard LaFayette, civil rights activist, author of In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma

Author Information

"C. T. VIVIAN (1924-2020), called ""the greatest preacher who ever lived"" by Dr. Martin Luther King, was an iconic civil rights leader known for his strong principle of nonviolent action. Born in Missouri in 1924, Vivian briefly lived in Illinois before moving to Nashville, where he attained a degree in theology and joined John Lewis, Diane Nash, and others to integrate the city in 1960. After being imprisoned and beaten during the Freedom Rides, he joined Dr. King at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and played leading roles in integration and voting rights efforts in Birmingham, St. Augustine, and Selma. C. T. Vivian was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Barack Obama. STEVE FIFFER is an author and community activist whose distinguished career includes collaborations with the likes of Dr. Quentin Young, personal doctor to Martin Luther King Jr.; Robert Jordan, former ambassador to Saudi Arabia; and James A. Baker, former U.S. secretary of state. He is the co-author of Jimmie Lee and James: Two Lives, Two Deaths, and the Movement that Changed America, a Harlem Book Fair nonfiction finalist. He is also the cowriter of Southern Poverty Law Center cofounder Morris Dees’s two award-winning memoirs A Season for Justice and Hate on Trial. Fiffer lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife Sharon, a novelist. He currently serves on the advisory board of the Civic Leadership Foundation in Chicago, a nonprofit that serves underprivileged youth."

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