--- product_id: 101584201 title: "My Life with Charles Billups and Martin Luther King: Trauma and the Civil Rights Movement" price: "176.60 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/101584201-my-life-with-charles-billups-and-martin-luther-king-trauma store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # My Life with Charles Billups and Martin Luther King: Trauma and the Civil Rights Movement **Price:** 176.60 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** My Life with Charles Billups and Martin Luther King: Trauma and the Civil Rights Movement - **How much does it cost?** 176.60 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/101584201-my-life-with-charles-billups-and-martin-luther-king-trauma) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Charles Billups displayed pivotal leadership during the climax of the entire civil rights movement—Martin Luther King’s campaign in Birmingham. But little of Billups’ story has been told. Until now. In this book, Billups’ daughter, Rene Billups Baker, relates his torture by the Ku Klux Klan. For the first time, she reveals his participation in King’s key strategy sessions at the Gaston Motel. More fully than anyone else, Rene records her father’s courageous direction of a march that serves as one of the peak moments of American nonviolence. King himself deemed the march “fantastic.” Rene also tells about her own encounters with King, encounters that have never before appeared in print. And she recalls an experience of unthinkable trauma in Chicago. This dramatic account illuminates the horrors of white supremacist violence, as well as the triumph and cost of resisting it. Review: MORE THAN JUST A FOOT SOLDIER - I am so happy that Renee finally took the time to put her thoughts, feelings, and heart about her father into print, and I say this because we grew up as next door neighbors, and her family and my family were akin to being family, and it made my heart joyful, especially for Renee when during Andrew Young's speech in 2013, he truthfully stated that if it had not been for Rev. Charles Billups, the march in Birmingham would not have been successful because when the hoses and the dogs came out--everyone scrambled--including him, but that it was Charles Billups who knelt down and said that he didn't come to run away, and everyone started slowly coming back to join him. I can also vividly remember the last time that I saw Rev. Billups, which was when he returned to Birmingham a month or so before his death, and I remember it quite vividly because he basically ran into the house smiling and calling my parents' names, and then he saw me laying on top of my parent's bed reading a book, and he hugged me, and told me to never stop reading; never give up; and never, ever believe that I could not reach any goals in life that I set for myself...and I haven't, and when I look at those degrees on my wall, and those of my sisters and so many other friends who lived in our neighborhood and were inspired by him and Rev. Gardner...I think of Rev. Billups and say to myself..Well Done. This book brought back so many memories, the good, the bad, as well as the ugly..and it also makes me think back to watching a KKK Meeting from my great-aunt's porch in Alberta City, which was just a mile of so from Tuscaloosa, a week or so after the death of Medgar Evers over in Mississippi..and this book also made me think about how along with my elementary school librarian, my cousin and another classmate, we almost became victims while on the way back from a conference in Montgomery when our car broke down. Rev. Billups faced obstacles at every step, even among some who looked like him...but he never faltered, and he always encouraged everyone to realize that we earned the right to know that we were also nothing less than every other American, regardless of color, and to me, he was a Hero---not of many words--but of numerous actions of bravery, and I know that Mrs. Inez, his mother, who lived next to us before her death when I was around six years old, would be so proud of Rev. Billups-and Renee--who, to me,should have written this book long ago. There are many untold stories of the real heroes, who stood behind Dr. King, but, and to me, the Super Hero knelt and showed courage, pride, and endurance--when others ran...but came back as they sang..."I Ain't Gone Let Nobody Turn Us Around...and this, to me, is why Dr. King, himself, admired Rev. Charles Billups, who led the real foot soldiers on the front line in Birmingham, Alabama...and I will always, like Renee, remember Andrew Young's acknowledgement thereof. This is a good book, and I thank her. Review: These are the histories that our nation desperately needs right now - Rene Billups Baker (with Keith D. Miller) provides readers with a firsthand account of the Birmingham struggle, which was so vital to the strategies and successes of the larger Black Freedom Movement. Billups Baker’s memoir grants readers an introduction to her father, Charles Billups, an American hero whose activism warrants much further study. She imbues civil rights history with much-needed humanity, vividly compelling readers to experience the toll that civil rights activism exacted from devoted families—the ever-present fear of Klansmen’s beatings, bombs, and bullets; the pain of witnessing a parent’s arrest; the confusion and longing wrought by wrongful imprisonment. What lasting effect does such childhood trauma have upon adults? How can our nation heal from wounds we refuse to acknowledge, much less treat? Here Billups Baker raises these difficult questions and proffers thoughtful answers drawn from the crucible of her experience. These are the histories that our nation desperately needs right now. Histories that demonstrate the complexity of struggle, that recover previously overlooked participants, and that are bravely told by survivors, who have overcome trauma’s propensity to silence. “Sometimes I would be my daddy’s mouthpiece,” remembers Billups Baker. How thankful are we that she can still give voice to Charles Billups’ story and, in doing so, compel us all to rethink the movement we thought we knew. —Maegan Parker Brooks, Willamette University; author of A Voice that Could Stir an Army: Fannie Lou Hamer and the Rhetoric of the Black Freedom Struggle; co-editor of The Speeches of Fannie Lou Hamer: To Tell It Like It Is ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #7,796,345 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #7,223 in Civil Rights & Liberties (Books) #28,448 in United States Biographies #135,343 in United States History (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 out of 5 stars 16 Reviews | ## Images ![My Life with Charles Billups and Martin Luther King: Trauma and the Civil Rights Movement - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/719quqWktTL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ MORE THAN JUST A FOOT SOLDIER *by E***S on April 24, 2019* I am so happy that Renee finally took the time to put her thoughts, feelings, and heart about her father into print, and I say this because we grew up as next door neighbors, and her family and my family were akin to being family, and it made my heart joyful, especially for Renee when during Andrew Young's speech in 2013, he truthfully stated that if it had not been for Rev. Charles Billups, the march in Birmingham would not have been successful because when the hoses and the dogs came out--everyone scrambled--including him, but that it was Charles Billups who knelt down and said that he didn't come to run away, and everyone started slowly coming back to join him. I can also vividly remember the last time that I saw Rev. Billups, which was when he returned to Birmingham a month or so before his death, and I remember it quite vividly because he basically ran into the house smiling and calling my parents' names, and then he saw me laying on top of my parent's bed reading a book, and he hugged me, and told me to never stop reading; never give up; and never, ever believe that I could not reach any goals in life that I set for myself...and I haven't, and when I look at those degrees on my wall, and those of my sisters and so many other friends who lived in our neighborhood and were inspired by him and Rev. Gardner...I think of Rev. Billups and say to myself..Well Done. This book brought back so many memories, the good, the bad, as well as the ugly..and it also makes me think back to watching a KKK Meeting from my great-aunt's porch in Alberta City, which was just a mile of so from Tuscaloosa, a week or so after the death of Medgar Evers over in Mississippi..and this book also made me think about how along with my elementary school librarian, my cousin and another classmate, we almost became victims while on the way back from a conference in Montgomery when our car broke down. Rev. Billups faced obstacles at every step, even among some who looked like him...but he never faltered, and he always encouraged everyone to realize that we earned the right to know that we were also nothing less than every other American, regardless of color, and to me, he was a Hero---not of many words--but of numerous actions of bravery, and I know that Mrs. Inez, his mother, who lived next to us before her death when I was around six years old, would be so proud of Rev. Billups-and Renee--who, to me,should have written this book long ago. There are many untold stories of the real heroes, who stood behind Dr. King, but, and to me, the Super Hero knelt and showed courage, pride, and endurance--when others ran...but came back as they sang..."I Ain't Gone Let Nobody Turn Us Around...and this, to me, is why Dr. King, himself, admired Rev. Charles Billups, who led the real foot soldiers on the front line in Birmingham, Alabama...and I will always, like Renee, remember Andrew Young's acknowledgement thereof. This is a good book, and I thank her. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ These are the histories that our nation desperately needs right now *by K***R on May 2, 2019* Rene Billups Baker (with Keith D. Miller) provides readers with a firsthand account of the Birmingham struggle, which was so vital to the strategies and successes of the larger Black Freedom Movement. Billups Baker’s memoir grants readers an introduction to her father, Charles Billups, an American hero whose activism warrants much further study. She imbues civil rights history with much-needed humanity, vividly compelling readers to experience the toll that civil rights activism exacted from devoted families—the ever-present fear of Klansmen’s beatings, bombs, and bullets; the pain of witnessing a parent’s arrest; the confusion and longing wrought by wrongful imprisonment. What lasting effect does such childhood trauma have upon adults? How can our nation heal from wounds we refuse to acknowledge, much less treat? Here Billups Baker raises these difficult questions and proffers thoughtful answers drawn from the crucible of her experience. These are the histories that our nation desperately needs right now. Histories that demonstrate the complexity of struggle, that recover previously overlooked participants, and that are bravely told by survivors, who have overcome trauma’s propensity to silence. “Sometimes I would be my daddy’s mouthpiece,” remembers Billups Baker. How thankful are we that she can still give voice to Charles Billups’ story and, in doing so, compel us all to rethink the movement we thought we knew. —Maegan Parker Brooks, Willamette University; author of A Voice that Could Stir an Army: Fannie Lou Hamer and the Rhetoric of the Black Freedom Struggle; co-editor of The Speeches of Fannie Lou Hamer: To Tell It Like It Is ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Incredible civil rights stories *by J***T on May 5, 2019* If you want to know what it feels like to be a five-year-old girl in the height of the Civil Rights Movement, with your father at the helm, read this incredible narrative. Rene Billups Baker shares stories of late night meetings at the Gaston Hotel, of Klan violence in Birmingham, and of the lesser known Miracle March from New Pilgrim Baptist Church. Baker tells a complicated civil rights history, a history marked by trauma yet redeemed through Christian non-violence, forgiveness, and love. This book adds an important dimension to the growing literature on civil rights pioneers, reminding us of the sacrifices of those leaders and their families. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/101584201-my-life-with-charles-billups-and-martin-luther-king-trauma](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/101584201-my-life-with-charles-billups-and-martin-luther-king-trauma) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-09-05*