If Your Back's Not Bent: The Role of the Citizenship Education Program in the Civil Rights Movement

In "If Your Back's Not Bent: The Role of the Citizenship Education Program in the Civil Rights Movement," the spotlight shines on Dorothy Cotton, a pivotal yet under-recognized figure within Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s inner circle. Published on February 9, 2016, this compelling narrative unveils the crucial yet largely overlooked Citizenship Education Program (CEP), which equipped disenfranchised citizens with the tools needed to navigate and challenge the oppressive structures denying them civil rights. Through Cotton’s detailed account, readers gain a profound understanding of how CEP acted as the backbone of the civil rights movement by fostering knowledge and peaceful protest, crucial for confronting injustice in the 1960s. Ideal for college students studying social justice, this book delves into themes of education equity, racial justice, and voting rights, revealing how these foundational efforts continue to influence fights for equality today. Cotton's story is a testament to the power of education in social movements and challenges us to consider how these lessons can address current democratic crises.