Reviews for A life in the struggle

The average rating for A life in the struggle based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2015-10-06 00:00:00 Gerardo Nicolo I think this book is a must read for anyone concerned with racial justice, grassroots organizing, movement building, direct action, and resistance. Or if you're interested in the supposed bit players of the Civil Rights Movement. My Life in the Struggle follows the life of one man, Ivory Perry, an activist, organizer, and agitator in St. Louis, MO. The oral history of Ivory Perry's life allows Lipsitz to explore a number of important themes, such as collective memory, cultures of struggle and opposition, and the roles of individuals in larger social movements. Lipsitz borrows from Gramsci the idea of the "organic intellectual," using Perry's life and activism as a case study in the way individuals respond to oppression and develop as organizers and activists. Perry's story is a powerful argument against a portrayal of history that posits national leaders and figureheads as driving the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s-70s, and thus offers a blueprint of sorts for future movement building. If this all sounds too academic, it's important to note that Lipsitz uses Perry to frame these more abstract ideas in very human terms, allowing Perry to tell his story in his own words. Perry is a figure that is instantly likable and relatable, although Lipsitz does not shy away from presenting Perry as a complicated, at times difficult figure who struggled not only with social causes but personal issues that isolated him and caused distress in his life. The addition of a new epilogue makes Perry's story a tragic one, but still one very much worth understanding and sharing.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-07-31 00:00:00 Kimberly Menard Fantastic book! especially important are the chapters on rent strikes and lead poisoning. Lipsitz's portrayal of a life-long activist and organic intellectual whose commitments were always to his communities, not personal gain or an organization echoes Barbara Ransby's of Ella Baker. In focusing on a singular actor, both books expand to present the larger history and context of struggle that made Ivory Perry, and Ella Baker, respectively.