Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamplighter
How do you generate enthusiasm or motivation for completing
a non-fiction book you started 3 months ago ?
I saw the author on one of CSPAN's book fairs and was very excited by her descriptions
of the research and interviews she did during the writing.
So I jumped on Amazon and ordered it that same day.
A third of the way through over several days of fitful starts and stops,
I realized I was utterly bored, and it became my "coffee table book".
Now dusty and forlorn, it's a matter of "Read it or Trash it".
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lamplighter
Wolf, it's doubtful anyone else in the whole world is interested !
FWIW: Mendez v. Westminster
School Desegregation and Mexican-American Rights
It's a history of the civil rights movement in southern Calif
before the Brown vs Board of Education case.
Groan... I know. The title should have warned me what was coming. 
But the author was very entertaining on CSPAN, and brought the events to life.
It was of interest to me because I grew up there (near DisneyLand),
and did not know anything of what was going on in the schools we attended.
But as far as I've read, the text is dry and dusty, like the bean fields all around us. |
Hey Hey Hey... I finished the book. Turned out it was a
great read !
This weekend being MLK Day, I decided I would either read it thru or donate it.
I went back a few pages to start over, and plugged away for while.
Then, it turned magic... exciting and moving... all the way to the Epilogue.
This little book, a layman's history of one legal case, falls mainly into 4 parts
A) All the people and organizations and institutions involved - boring
B) The legal strategies of Attorney Marcus - some interesting bits
C) The federal District Trial, itself - warming up, finally got my attention
D) Judge McCormick's decision - BAM, THERE IT IS... The reason I bought the book !
Judge McCormick''s "Conclusions of the Court" were wonderful reading.
So many of the facts and ideas and principals of the yet-to-come
Civil Rights Movement of the 60's started here with his writings:
He first determined the legal standing of the federal government in education
He developed the argument that segregation
is discrimination
He established as Fact that
all children are harmed by segregation
He decided the State of California was in violation of the 14th Amendment
He ordered the State to immediately integrate Mexican-Americans in all public schools
The case was appealed to the 9th District Court of Appeals and was upheld.
Although the case did not become national law at that time,
these writings and findings of fact became the basis for Brown vs Board of Education.
One last comment. Of all those people at the beginning of the book,
it's remarkable how many later became well-established figures in our legal and social system.
While most of their names were unknown to me, the organizations they started are now house-hold names.
This book stays on my bookshelf !