At The End Of The Dark Street Summary

At the End of the Dark Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance—A New History of the

Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power by Danielle L. McGuire was

the basis of this this week’s discussion. The monograph thoroughly explains an area in the Civil

Rights Movement that has previously been swept under the rug. Historical Actors and events

that have previously been glossed over were revealed through this important text. Things like

rape and abuse of African American women is the synthesis of this monograph. At the End of

the Dark Street highlights numerous anecdotes of cruel and unfair punishments as well as false

accusations. I found this new perspective to the Civil Rights Movement refreshing and

something that I would like to explore further. …show more content…
McGuire also says “The long

struggle for black women’s bodily integrity and freedom from racial and sexual terror can it

properly recognized as a major marker in the African-American freedom movement.” This is

interesting by the fact that my previous knowledge is about protests and riots for racial

equality.

Resistance was often faced with opposition. There are many anecdotes throughout the

book that show this. McGuire presents the story of Ella Ree Jones, who was a passenger on a

Montgomery, Alabama bus. The bus driver sneered “I’m going to teach you what the white man

tells you to do.” Furthermore, the officer “lunged and pulled the student out of her seat and

down the back steps, scattering her school supplies.” Thereafter “They grabbed her arms,

twisted them until she screamed, and pushed her toward the waiting police car.” This

monograph and the anecdotes within the text have certainly changed the way that I