Pursuing Excellence: A Life on the Front Lines of Justice, Equality, and the American Dream
The inspiring memoir of my client, Evie Rich—a fearless African-American activist whose lifelong fight for justice, equality, and workers’ rights shaped pivotal moments in American civil rights history.
I worked with “Evie” over a period of six months—coaching, editing and helping to present her extraordinary story in print. She graciously wrote: “Dr. Joyce Starr, my editor and book coach, perfected each chapter, while inspiring new chapters and fresh perspective on my material. Joyce helped me honor people and memories I hold dear with utmost sensitivity.”
From the working-class streets of Depression-era Philadelphia to the front lines of America’s most pivotal civil rights battles, Evie Rich’s extraordinary journey is a testament to courage, conviction, and the relentless pursuit of justice. In Civil Rights Warrior, Rich chronicles her rise from humble beginnings to becoming a trailblazer in the fight for equality-breaking barriers as an African-American woman at Bryn Mawr College, debating Malcolm X on the airwaves, and shaping the course of history through her leadership in the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and Americans for Democratic Action.
With unflinching honesty, Rich shares the triumphs and setbacks of a lifetime spent challenging discrimination in education, employment, and public life-from holding institutions accountable in Washington, D.C. to advocating for the rights of New York City’s most vulnerable citizens. Alongside luminaries like James Baldwin, she raised funds for sit-ins and mentored new generations of activists, all while rising to Associate Dean within the City University of New York.
Now in her nineties, Evie Rich remains a powerful voice–spearheading the fight to protect retirees’ health care and inspiring those who refuse to accept injustice. Civil Rights Warrior is a vital legacy for activists past, present, and future, and a stirring reminder that the struggle for equality is far from over.