News & Articles

VIRAL: The Fight Against AIDS in America by Ann Bausum tells the story of the decades-long struggle for AIDS recognition in America. The AIDS pandemic started in the mid-1970s, mostly among gay men. As the pandemic became more widespread, individuals realized the devastating nature of the disease. Individuals who were once healthy would be reduced to skin and bones in a matter of months, if not weeks. The federal government offered little to no help; federal funding was not allocated to AIDS research.

The March Against Fear: The Last Great Walk of the Civil Rights Movement and the Emergence of Black Power by Ann Bausum tells the story of James Meredith’s 1966 200+ mile march from Memphis, Tennessee to Jackson, Mississippi. The purpose of the march was to represent the determination of African Americans in a discriminatory society, yet Meredith was shot by a gunman about a week into the march. As a result, other African American leaders (such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael) decided to hold the march on his behalf.