Let the People Decide

“Offers another crucial piece in the puzzle that is the overall history of the Civil Rights Movement. . . . A thorough representation of a community central to the Civil Rights Movement in Mississippi.” — Journal of African American History

“An important book. . . . Puts the civil rights saga in a new perspective.” — American Historical Review

“Increases our understanding of the American civil rights movement’s complexity and addresses historiographical issues concerning its origins, aims, longevity, and class composition.” — Journal of American History

“A fascinating story that seeks to deepen our understanding by exploring both sides of the [Civil Rights] movement, examining the dynamics of the rural struggle, and extending the time-line of the civil rights era in the 1980s. . . . A vivid portrait of a complicated era.” — North Carolina Historical Review

“Let the People Decide adds to a growing literature that illuminates the daily details of life and struggle of black people in communities throughout the South.” — Journal of Southern History

“Moye provides a splendid, original, and balanced account of the form and function of civil rights in one of the most racist [counties] in Mississippi. . . . This gracefully written study covers all aspects of the civil rights movement while shedding valuable lights on the racist mentality that prevailed during the period.” — Journal of Social History

“Avaluable history of black activism in Sunflower . . . add[s] new richness and complexity to what otherwise seems like an all-too-familiar story.” — Chicago Tribune

"An eminent example of the increased attention now rightly being accorded to the African American experience in this country in the 20th century. — Dunbar on Black Books

“Moye’s narrative skills prove equal to the task of capturing the civil rights saga of this archetypically Deep South country. Highly recommended.” — CHOICE

“Let the People Decide is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of the civil rights movement. Well written and thoroughly researched, its poignant analysis demonstrates how blacks in Sunflower County, Mississippi, built and sustained a successful challenge to white supremacy and Jim Crow. Moye provides a much-needed perspective on race and politics, not only in the South, but in the nation as a whole.” — Curtis Austin, University of Southern Mississippi