From Protest to Politics: How Black Americans Transformed the Presidency in the 1960s

The inspiring true story of the generation of Black officials who took their activism into the halls of power, working in historic leadership roles within the White House, forever reshaping civil rights, presidential politics, and the nation.

The history of the 1960s is often told through the lens of civil rights leaders, Black protestors, and White politicians who won civil rights legislation. This book finally tells the full story of the unsung Black officials who were just as instrumental in political victories that moved the nation toward the ideals of equality embedded in the US Constitution.

In his book From Protest to Politics, Northwestern professor of history Brett Gadsden unlocks the stories of the critical generation of Black leaders—Clifford Alexander, Marjorie Lawson, and Louis Martin, among others—who conducted essential work within the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson administrations to bring about necessary change. These Black officials gained unprecedented positions of power, for the first time integrating the ranks of the cabinet, senior White House leadership, and staff. Appointed to historic key positions within the executive branch, they used their stature, political skill, and perspectives to advance equal rights for all Americans.

Richly told and drawing upon years of research, From Protest to Politics is a seminal work not only in the history of civil rights and Black politics but also a groundbreaking work of American history.