Marching to a Different Drummer

These 35 little known heroes and heroines of American history from across the ethnic spectrum have been virtually ignored in traditional history books. Their inspiring, biographical profiles reveal the struggle, in the face of entrenched opposition, for a just, equitable, and humane society. They spoke for racial and social justice, women's rights, safe working conditions, and freedom of conscience and religion. More than half of the profiles are of women, one fourth are of African-Americans, and Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latino and Chicano Americans are also represented. Each profile integrates the individual life with a detailed explanation of the historical context, and each entry provides excerpts from primary sources--speeches, writings, and interviews--and is followed by broad bibliographical references.An alternative perspective on American history for students is offered in this work. The 35 men and women profiled here all defied the social and moral conventions of their times, frequently facing opposition and condemnation. Their voices were often stilled, muted, or lost, but their ethically grounded courage, their clarity of vision, and their willingness to stand up to injustice provide role models for Americans of all ages. One third of these people cannot be found in standard biographical references and others have never before been the focus of biographical sketches. Subject lists by chronology, gender, ethnicity, and focus of the biographee's concern will enable the student to select an appropriate subject for investigation and reports.

"A bold and candid look at those who have dared break company with the conventional, the traditional, and stand for values and causes only later embraced by the rest of us, who have learned to be far more cautious, if not fearful--a book about heroism, really: its many aspects."-Robert Coles Harvard University, "Robin Berson has rounded up dozens of dissenters, mavericks, and reformers from mostly obscure sources to give us this immensely readable collection of profiles. Her book will help many to live better lives than they thought possible."-Milton Meltzer Award-winning author of over 70 books on social reform, ?Berson has added breadth and depth to the underdeveloped corpus of biography on American reformers.?-Wilson Library Bulletin, ?Marching to a Different Drummer will be a valuable addition to academic, public, and high school libraries interested in building their resources on some of the unsung heroes of American history.?-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin, ?This collection of brief studies of 35 individuals demonstrates how heroes and heroines come in many sizes--often unrecognized by themselves and by others--and should be remembered for their accomplishments. Berson gives brief but full studies of the individuals, of the social setting, and of the way these "dedicated deviants," as she calls them, marched to their own drum-beat through life.?-IBJournal of Popular Culture

ROBIN KADISON BERSON is Director of the Upper School Library of Riverdale Country School in New York City. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College, she was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at New York University, where she received a Masters of Arts degree in history. She holds a Master of Science degree from Columbia University School of Library Service. She has taught secondary school history in a variety of settings, and spent seven years as Managing Editor of History of Education Quarterly.