0 Item

Climbing the Rough Side of the Mountain

The Extraordinary Story of Love, Civil Rights, and Labor Activism

By: Norman Hill, Velma Murphy Hill

Write A Review

Hardcover | 21 December 2023

At a Glance

Hardcover
352 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 3.05

Hardcover

$53.50

or 4 interest-free payments of $13.38 with

Aims to ship in 10 to 15 business days

When will this arrive by?
Enter delivery postcode to estimate

The remarkable story of a couple who came together during the civil rights movement and made fighting for equality and civil and workers’ rights their purpose for more than sixty years, overcoming adversity—with the strength of their love and commitment—to bring about meaningful change.

“A chronicle of lives of unwavering dedication. Now in their 80s, labor and civil rights activists Norman and Velma Hill recount more than six decades of struggles, triumphs, and frustrations in their tireless work as ‘crusaders for democracy.’... An inspiring joint memoir.” —Kirkus Reviews

When Velma Murphy was knocked unconscious by a brick thrown by a man from an angry white mob and was carried away by Norman Hill, it was the beginning of a six-decade-long love story and the turmoil, excitement, and struggle for civil rights and labor movements. In Climbing the Rough Side of the Mountain, the Hills reflect upon their more than half a century of fighting to make America realize the best of itself.

Through profound conversations between the two, Velma and Norman Hill share their earliest memories of facing racial segregation in the 1960s, working with Martin Luther King Jr., Bayard Rustin, and A. Philip Randolph, crossing paths with Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael. They also reveal how they kept white supremacists like David Duke from taking office, organized workers into unions, met with Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and continued to work tirelessly, fighting the good fight and successfully challenging power with truth.

Industry Reviews

“Climbing the Rough Side of the Mountain is the powerful memoir of Norman and Velma Murphy Hill, two lifelong warriors in the struggles for racial equality, economic justice, and democracy. The Hills bring to their story the unique perspective of participants in the making of our nation’s history—from the direct action campaign to integrate Chicago’s Rainbow Beach, the Route 40 freedom riders, and the 1963 March on Washington to the 1968 strike of Memphis sanitation workers in which Martin Luther King would be assassinated and the successful drive to organize New York City’s paraprofessionals into the United Federation of Teachers. In the civil rights, labor, and democratic socialist movements, they labored shoulder-to-shoulder with King, A. Philip Randolph, Bayard Rustin, Al Shanker, and others, and their narrative brings these figures and their historic work to life. As new generations of activists in the freedom and labor movements take up the baton of these struggles today, the authoritative account of Climbing the Rough Side of the Mountain provides an indispensable guide.”

Shipping

	Standard Shipping	Express Shipping
Metro postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Regional postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95
Rural postcodes:	$9.99	$14.95

How to return your order

At Booktopia, we offer hassle-free returns in accordance with our returns policy. If you wish to return an item, please get in touch with Booktopia Customer Care.

Additional postage charges may be applicable.