A civil rights attorney's unflinching memoir about the fight against segregation and systemic racism through landmark legal battles in Alabama.
Be Not Afraid: A Southern Journey Through Law, Liberty, and Civil Rights is a timely and unflinching memoir from civil rights attorney Jack Drake, who has spent decades on the front lines of Alabama's legal battles for racial justice. Raised in a segregated community in Gardendale, Alabama, Drake came of age during the Civil Rights Movement and became a pivotal figure in cases that reshaped the state's legal and moral landscape.
Drake helped reform Alabama's grossly inadequate mental health system and supported voting rights efforts throughout Alabama. His career underscores the crucial role private attorneys and grassroots advocates played in enforcing civil rights laws long after their passage.
Through vivid recollections of courtroom battles, civil rights alliances, and personal transformation, Be Not Afraid offers an intimate view into the persistence and courage required to challenge systemic injustice. At a time when debates over equity and democracy remain pressing, Drake's story is both a powerful reflection on the past and a call to action for the present. It speaks to the enduring importance of legal advocacy and community solidarity in the fight for a more just society, making it essential reading for those engaged in civil rights history, law, or social change.
About the Author :
Jack Drake is a Birmingham-based attorney known for his work on landmark civil rights and constitutional cases, including Wyatt v. Stickney and Wallace v. Brewer. He has spent over four decades representing consumers and advocating for improved conditions in Alabama's prisons and jails. Drake also served on the Alabama Ethics Commission and other legal advisory bodies.
Review :
"Be Not Afraid is a well-written, rare, honest, and revealing memoir on how a poor white southerner came to reckon with the unextinguished presence of race and racism in his heart, mind, and soul through his experiences, interracial friendships, and life's work."—Steve Suitts, author of Overturning Brown: The Segregationist Legacy of the Modern School Choice Movement
"Be Not Afraid is an exceptionally interesting book, told with candor and wit, about the remembrance of the author's stages of life in Alabama, his legal career, and the role of his religious faith."
—Kendal Weaver, author of Ten Stars: The African American Journey of Gary Cooper "A Birmingham native, Drake offers an insider’s view of the quiet negotiations, courtroom battles, and pivotal protests that reshaped the state during the fight for racial justice. Written with clarity and conviction, this compelling memoir is essential reading for anyone interested in the ongoing struggle for equality in America."—John M. Giggie, author of Bloody Tuesday: The Untold Story of the Struggle for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa
