ABSTRACT
One of the most effectual ways to impress upon students the importance of the Civil Rights Movement, and consequently energize the discussion, is to incorporate fictional texts that add depth and dimension to factual accounts. Such works also provide students with a fuller understanding of the more subtle elements and behind-the-scenes maneuvers that engendered the broader movement. A rich narrative plot adds musculature to the skeletal framework of history. Fiction provides a means of imagining certain events, interactions, and conflicts that one cannot truly know, in addition to contex-tualizing the known truths. For example, a fictional presentation of a famous civil rights leader might include a private conversation between the reader and his or her spouse. While it is true that one can never know if such an exchange actually occurred, the imagined conversation can offer an opportunity to explore dimensions of personality that have shaped motivation and strategy. The critical reader must understand, of course, the difference between fact (or what has been accepted as fact) and fiction.
