- What have I learned? – That England are a really good side, but still lost to the French.
- Listening to – ÷ – Ed Sheeran (kinda late to this party)
- Reading – Time to Teach: A History of the Southern Civil Rights by Julian Bond
So the civil rights movement is not something taught in UK schools, or not a school I went too anyway. I felt I should know more about it and picked up Julian bond’s rather hefty tome Time to Teach. It’s based on his civil rights lectures at the university of Virginia.
Mr Bond was in the middle of the US civil rights movement in the 60’s as an organizer and activist, served in the Georgia State house and senate, and was the first president of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) who prosecute and catalogue hate groups. In short a very influential man who was in the center of things, made enemies and made a difference.
The book is a collection of his lecture notes and is very through, and is not going to be a quick read. The book is fascinating, it’s a detailed look into a part of history I never knew that much about. Graphic in places, certainly shocking and not always an easy read. I’m still working my way through the early part of the movement, the details of the tensions within the movement are clearly laid out. This was a lot of people who saw different ways to achieve in equality and integration they wanted, from individual activists to President Johnson. Certainly not a homogenous group of people with a central leader.
So far, a great, if occasionally difficult read.
England’s world cup is over, and they were beat by what I’ve thought from the start as the best side in the tournament, even if France did not play at their best today. It was close, over the last 3 weeks England have generally been excellent, technical and at times even imaginative (something I’ve never called England before).
Today England needed everything to come together, after all France are the world champions, but once again it’s a hard luck story of what could have been. Kane skyed a penalty, Rashford was close, Saka was fantastic and his movement was tough for France to follow.
As ever, it’s the hope that kills you. This is a good England side, and looking forward is all you can do. Euro 2024 qualifying starts in 3 months.