Along Freedom Road

“A fascinating and well-documented case study of the successful year-long school boycott carried out by African-American parents and students to save two historically black public schools. . . . [The] first detailed analysis of what can happen when African-American parents and educators decide to take responsibility for the training of black children in the era of so-called public school desegregation.” — American Historical Review

“A superb piece of scholarship. . . . Well written and well organized. . . . Must reading for any student wishing to fully understand the legacy of the Brown case.” — Journal of Southern History

“A must read for those interested in the ongoing debate about the long-term implications of school integration and desegregation.” — CHOICE

“Cecelski adeptly captures the dynamics and interactions among the various local, state, and federal agencies, grassroots groups, and national civil rights organizations. He also skillfully weaves this account into a coherent narrative. . . . Along Freedom Road represents an important chapter in the still unfolding story of school desegregation. It is required reading for all those who are interested in understanding more about how African Americans view their schools.” — Southern Cultures

“Provocative and illuminating. . . . Let us be grateful to Cecelski for shedding new light on a dimension of school desegregation that so many of us have ignored for so long.” — Journal of American History

“The provocative story of the Brown decision’s impact on one Tidewater county draws into question some of integration’s cherished precepts. . . . Such original scholarship when 'school choice' is a current issue bears serious contemplation.” — Booklist

“Cecelski reveals the underside of school desegregation, that southern blacks bore most of its burdens. . . . A well-written analysis of a neglected feature of the civil rights movement in the South.” — North Carolina Historical Review

“Along Freedom Road is a book that should be read by anyone interested in civil rights, schooling, and southern history.” — History of Education Quarterly

“Cecelski makes his case with clarity and fairness, weaving the larger message of his book through the important story of a community of black people who set out to save a piece of their heritage, believing that it was simply too important to lose.” — Progressive