The compelling story of the earliest calls for desegregation and racial justice in the South.

“Make room on your library shelf . . . for John Egerton’s magnificent Speak Now Against the Day. His book is a stunning achievement: a sprawling, engrossing, deeply moving account of those Southerners, black and white, who raised their voices to challenge the South’s racial mores. . . . [This] is an eloquent and passionate book, and . . . one we cannot afford to forget.” — Charles B. Dew, New York Times Book Review

“A rich and inspiring story. . . . [Egerton] has uncovered a buried treasure.” — Studs Terkel

“[A] superb book, measured but eloquent.” — Dan T. Carter, Washington Post Book World