This is a book of voices—the voices of brave and determined people speaking out for civil rights in America.

Many of the speakers and writers in this book see these wrongs and shortcomings, and speak out strongly against them—but in almost every case, when they speak out against injustice or inequality in America, they are not against America. Rather, they understand that only by acknowledging our imperfections can we begin to create “a more perfect union.” While the voices may sometimes convey impatience, frustration, and anger about what America is, most are driven by hope for what America can be.