Got My Mind Set on Freedom

Maryland has always been a state in the middle-part southern, part northern-both in the way it has dealt with race issues, and in the way it is perceived. It is the author's hope that this detailed account of the black-white experience in Maryland will enable the reader to feel and appreciate the many battles fought to get where we are today-and to realize how far we still have to go to achieve freedom and equality for all. The enormous effort that went into organizing every lawsuit and every demonstration, and the deep emotions felt by the participants are reflected in these pages. The number of early lawsuits initiated by blacks themselves and recounted by the author is a surprising feature. Discussions include: early history; employment, public accommodations, education, housing, and continuing racial issues. A personal touch is added with the author's account of her own participation in the civil rights movement in Baltimore in the 60s, with her ability to identify and interview persons she knew in CORE, and with her access to their saved clippings, papers, reports and correspondence. Numerous illustrations enhance the text. This book was a finalist in the Organization of American Historians Liberty Legacy Foundation Award in 2003.