This was a dense, informative novel about some of the lesser known players in the civil rights movement as Brown vs. Board of Education was passed, but struggled to be fully implemented. I find myself drawn to books about the Civil Rights movement because I feel like we can only move forward if we learn from our past. This will appeal to anyone who really is interested in the history and nuances.

The book is dense, and uncovers a history that many have never heard. The narration is anchored by Septima Clark, a Black history hero that deserves way more recognition! Bernice Robinson and Esau Jenkins, her protegees who went on to develop community programs and change so many lives, also deserve a place in history.

The Highland School was such a utopia, it sounds like, and I am inspired by the hope and hard work that went into this institution. I was also inspired to read how it went on to ignite more schools that helped adults, at a time when history focuses on schools designed for children. As the book continues through the Civil Rights movement, there are connections to the burgeoning folk music movement and folk music as a protest, in the vein of Woody Guthrie's music.

I learned so much from this important book, and hope it gets the recognition, along with the key players in it, that it deserves.

There are names frpm the civil rights movement we are familiar with...MLK, Andrew Young, John Lewis, and Rosa Parks, But there is a longer list of little/un-knowns who sparked a movement through the south bbringing not just the rights blacks were hungry for, but raised the hopes, dreams, confidence, and ambitions by teaching them how to write their names and to read. If you are unfamiliar with the names of Septima Clark, Esau Jenkins, Myles Horton, Guy Carawan, and many others, you are missing some important and inspiring work by those who bored the scars of segregation yet continued to stand for what the believed in, and knew was theirs...the rights and protections bestowed upon ALL people.

"Spell Freedom" is a timely and crucial read, especially in light of recent challenges. It tells the inspiring story of four activists who fought for Black voting rights in the Jim Crow South, launching the secret Citizenship Schools that empowered thousands to overcome discriminatory literacy tests. Their struggle resonates deeply today, reminding us of the ongoing fight to protect and expand voting access for all. A must-read about the unsung heroes who paved the way for change and whose legacy continues to inspire.