Eyes off the Prize: The United Nations and the African American Struggle for Human Rights, 1944–1955

"Eyes off the Prize: The United Nations and the African American Struggle for Human Rights, 1944–1955," by Carol Anderson, delves into a pivotal yet overlooked chapter in the history of racial justice. Published on April 21, 2003, the book explores the period post-World War II, a time when African American leaders and the NAACP leveraged the freshly minted human rights language of the United Nations to challenge the deep-seated segregation and inequality in the United States. Anderson masterfully recounts how the pursuit of human rights—encompassing not just legal but also educational, health, and economic equity—was derailed by the Cold War's intensifying anti-communism, forcing a retreat to a more politically palatable civil rights focus. This scholarly work, enriched by Anderson's extensive research funded by the Ford Foundation and her profound insights into 20th-century American and African-American history, is ideal for adult education settings. It invites readers to ponder what might have been if the broader human rights agenda had taken hold and challenges them to think about how this history shapes current racial justice efforts.