Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation

One of the nation's most respected civil rights leaders examines a key turning point in American race relations On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Though it did not grant freedom to slaves in border states, the proclamation changed the character of the Civil War and paved the way for the 13th and 14th Amendments in 1865. In this succinct, opinionated book, a distinguished civil rights leader discusses why Lincoln issued the proclamation, what it meant for African Americans at the time, and how it resonates today with people involved in the ongoing struggle for civil rights and equality. Kweisi Mfume (Baltimore, MD) is the former president and CEO of the NAACP and a former Maryland congressman who served as the head of the Congressional Black Caucus. Mfume is currently running for the U.S. Senate in Maryland.