Bending Toward Justice The Voting Rights Act and the Transformation of American Democracy

"The Washington Post""[An] exemplary account of the landmark law.... May moves nimbly through the swirl of events that led to the Voting Rights Act." "New York Review of Books""May's eminently readable book is particularly timely because the Supreme Court, on June 25, 2013, issued its decision in Shelby County v. Holder... May's book contains a wealth of information about the events that led to the enactment of the 1965 statute--and about the dedication and heroism of little-known participants in the events that came to national attention in 1964 and 1965." "Bookforum""We have all probably talked about the Voting Rights Act in hushed whispers for too long. May's efforts go a long way toward ending that silence." "The New Yorker""A book of the classical phase, a lively and unabashedly partisan account of Selma and the Voting Rights Act...May tells the story his own way, and he is able to add many details." "Zocalo Public Square""May's compelling narrative history brings individual experiences to life without losing sight of the bigger arc of a nation." "Montgomery Advertiser"""Bending Toward Justice" is remarkable and deserves to be read by those interested in the civil rights movement." "The News Journal""The story of the act is dramatically told by Gary May.... You cannot read this book without becoming convinced that the act was the most important law of the 20th century." "Publishers Weekly""May's lively and cogent history of the Voting Rights Act is indispensable reading for anyone concerned about the erosion of voting rights that has accompanied the election of Barack Obama, America's first black president, especially as the issue is still up for debate in 2013, in a case to be heard by the Supreme Court.... May has constructed a vivid, fast-paced morality tale.... By focusing on Selma, May pays tribute to the courage of otherwise ordinary people and makes a case for the continuedw