Civil Rights Warrior

A Life on the Front Lines of Justice, Equality, and the American Dream

Evelyn Jones Rich

• Publisher: Skyhorse
• Year: 2026
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9781510785663
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies
• Index: Social Sciences

The inspiring memoir of Evie Rich, a fearless African-American activist whose lifelong fight for justice, equality, and workers’ rights shaped pivotal moments in American civil rights history.

From the working-class streets of Depression-era Philadelphia to the front lines of America’s most pivotal civil rights battles, Evie Rich’s extraordinary journey is a testament to courage, conviction, and the relentless pursuit of justice. In Civil Rights Warrior, Rich chronicles her rise from humble beginnings to becoming a trailblazer in the fight for equality-breaking barriers as an African-American woman at Bryn Mawr College, debating Malcolm X on the airwaves, and shaping the course of history through her leadership in the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and Americans for Democratic Action.

With unflinching honesty, Rich shares the triumphs and setbacks of a lifetime spent challenging discrimination in education, employment, and public life-from holding institutions accountable in Washington, D.C. to advocating for the rights of New York City’s most vulnerable citizens. Alongside luminaries like James Baldwin, she raised funds for sit-ins and mentored new generations of activists, all while rising to Associate Dean within the City University of New York.

Now in her nineties, Evie Rich remains a powerful voice--spearheading the fight to protect retirees’ health care and inspiring those who refuse to accept injustice. Civil Rights Warrior is a vital legacy for activists past, present, and future, and a stirring reminder that the struggle for equality is far from over.

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• 1. Debating Malcolm X
• 2. Falling In Love and Correcting the Freedom Rides Record
• 3. Funding the Sit-ins and the Freedom Rides
• 4. African Adventures: Uganda
• 5. Girls Do Carry Papers
• 6. The US Post Office: Mama’s Bank
• 7. Galilee and Me
• 8. A Negro at Bryn Mawr
• 9. Making It Happen: Turning a High School Around
• 10. Tough Love: Highlights at Andrew Jackson High School (1980–1985)
• 11. Challenges and Opportunities
• 12. Thwarting Drug Dealers at Andrew Jackson
• 13. Dr. Rich and the Police
• 14. Confronting Giftedness
• 15. We Weren’t Helicopter Parents
• 16. Ain’t Finished Yet!
• Acknowledgments