Although some people viewed John Brown as a madman, his daring 1859 raid on the U.S. military arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va., helped galvanize anti-slavery sentiment in the North. In Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War, Tony Horwitz has written an engrossing account of Brown’s life and singular devotion to the abolition cause. With hindsight, … [Read more...]
Civil rights awareness adds substance to enjoyable ‘The Help’
Since Hollywood has virtually given up on making dramas, let alone serious female-centric films, the arrival of a quality release of some substance like The Help is remarkable. And in the summer yet. This tale of black domestic workers in the homes of white families in Jackson, Miss., in pre-civil rights 1962, first gained fans from Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 novel. Now adapted … [Read more...]