"Decades before the Black Power movement brought a national spotlight to armed self-defense, African Americans waged a multi-front battle to protect themselves and their communities from white supremacist violence. This powerful book captures the high cost and high stakes of the War for Democracy brought home. By turns devastating and inspiring, it sets the new standard for exploring African Americans' struggle for safety, truth, and justice in the aftermath of World War I."
Adriane Lentz-Smith, Duke University, North Carolina