A Spy in Canaan: How the FBI Used a Famous Photographer to

A Spy in Canaan: How the FBI Used a Famous Photographer to Infiltrate the Civil Rights Movement

Only Ernest Withers, a key figure in the civil rights movement, could have delivered such iconic photographsâ€”and the kind of information the FBI wanted . . .Â

Renowned photographer Ernest Withers captured some of the most stunning moments of the civil rights eraâ€”from the age-defining snapshot of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., riding one of the first integrated buses in Montegomery, to the haunting photo of Emmett Tillâ€™s great-uncle pointing an accusing finger at his nephewâ€™s killers. He was trusted and beloved by Kingâ€™s inner circle, and had a front row seat to history . . . but few people know that Withers was also an informant for the FBI.

Memphis journalist Marc Perrusquia broke the story of Withersâ€™s secret life after a long investigation culminating in a landmark lawsuit against the government to release hundreds of once-classified FBI documents. Those files confirmed that, from 1958 to 1976, Withers helped the Bureau monitor pillars of the movement including Dr. Martin Luther King and others, as well as dozens of civil rights foot soldiers.

Now, on the fiftieth anniversary of Kingâ€™s assasination, A Spy in Canaan explores the life, complex motivations, and legacy of this fascinating figure Ernest Withers, as well as the dark shadow that eraâ€™s culture of surveillance has cast on our own time.Â

Includes an 8-page, black-and-white photo insert.
Country USA
Brand Melville House
Manufacturer Melville House
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber Illustrated
Color Multicolor
ReleaseDate 2018-03-27
UnitCount 1
Format Illustrated
EANs 9781612193410

Country	USA
Brand	Melville House
Manufacturer	Melville House
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	Illustrated
Color	Multicolor
ReleaseDate	2018-03-27
UnitCount	1
Format	Illustrated
EANs	9781612193410

A Spy in Canaan: How the FBI Used a Famous Photographer to Infiltrate the Civil Rights Movement

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