The civil rights movement in the United States drew strength from
supporters of human rights worldwide. Once U.S. policy
makers--influenced by international pressure, the courage of
ordinary American citizens, and a desire for global leadership--had
signed such documents as the United Nations charter, domestic calls
for change could be based squarely on the moral authority of
doctrines the United States endorsed abroad.
This is one of the many fascinating links between racial politics
and international affairs explored in
Window on Freedom.
Broad in chronological scope and topical diversity, the ten
original essays presented here demonstrate how the roots of U.S.
foreign policy have been embedded in social, economic, and cultural
factors of domestic as well as foreign origin. They argue
persuasively that the campaign to realize full civil rights for
racial and ethnic minorities in America is best understood in the
context of competitive international relations.
The contributors are Carol Anderson, Donald R. Culverson, Mary L.
Dudziak, Cary Fraser, Gerald Horne, Michael Krenn, Paul Gordon
Lauren, Thomas Noer, Lorena Oropeza, and Brenda Gayle Plummer.