In late December of 1951, a news story out of Mims, Florida, shocked the nation. The story contained elements of prejudice, discrimination, injustice, lynching, rape, bombings, and murder. The story not only made headlines across the country, but also the world. On the evening of December 25, a bomb was placed under the floor joists of the bedroom…

Argues that black women formed a crucial part of the evolution of ideals of mutual aid and collective action from the period of slavery onward. Traces the process from mutual aid societies, continuing through literary and antislavery groups and beyond. Recounts the experiences of a number of black women. (DSK)