September 19, 2012 Harvard Law Professor to Discuss Book on Being a Civil Rights Lawyer

Account of Pioneering Mid-20th-Century Lawyers Includes Thurgood Marshall

Press Contact: Guy Lamolinara (202) 707-9217
Public Contact: Center for the Book (202) 707-5221

Through the stories of such figures as Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, author Kenneth W. Mack brings to life African-American legal practice across the nation during the civil rights movement. According to Mack, Marshall rose to prominence by convincing local blacks and prominent whites that he was – as nearly as possible – one of them. In addition to Marshall, Mack introduces readers to a little-known cast of other characters important to this narrative.

These and other issues relating to the generation of civil rights lawyers of the mid-20th century are explored in “Representing the Race: The Creation of the Civil Rights Lawyer” (Harvard University Press, 2012) by Kenneth W. Mack. Mack will discuss and sign his book on Thursday, Oct. 11, at noon in the Mumford Room, located on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. This Books & Beyond event is co-sponsored by the Center for the Book and the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress. It is free and open to the public; no tickets are required.

Kenneth W. Mack is a professor of law at Harvard Law School and a legal historian. He used the extensive resources in the Library’s Manuscript Division in his research.

Since its creation by Congress in 1977 to "stimulate public interest in books and reading," the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress (www.Read.gov/cfb/) has become a major national force for reading and literacy promotion. A public-private partnership, it sponsors educational programs that reach readers of all ages, nationally and internationally. The center provides leadership for affiliated state centers for the book (including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and nonprofit reading-promotion partners and plays a key role in the Library’s annual National Book Festival. It also oversees the Library’s www.Read.gov website and administers the Library’s Young Readers Center.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to advance the knowledge and creativity of the American people through its collections, programs and services. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

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PR 12-173
2012-09-19
ISSN 0731-3527