First published 1998
Ellen Fitzpatrick presents four cornerstone documents that shaped American social justice movements in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. She analyzes Ida B. Wells-Barnett's courageous investigation into lynching in the South, Jacob Riis's photographic expose of immigrant poverty in New York tenements, the rise of investigative journalism that challenged corporate power, and the Supreme Court decision that institutionalized racial segregation. Fitzpatrick demonstrates how these works and events connected to transform public awareness of inequality and injustice. Her approach combines historical context with close readings of primary sources, showing how reformers used new methods of documentation and publicity to mobilize public opinion. The book reveals how photography, statistical analysis, and systematic reporting became weapons against social problems that had previously remained hidden or ignored.
Genres: 20th-century, american, non-fiction, journalism, 19th-century, social-justice, activism, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: expos, social-reform
Setting: South, New York
Period: Late 19th Century, Early 20th Century
Hardcover · Bedford/St. Martin's
Content warnings: racism