In the book, King begins with an evaluation of the accomplishments of the civil rights movement up to the mid-1960s. What was the state of the movement according to his analysis? Why did racial unrest and violence persist despite the passing of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts?

King describes a shift in his focus as an activist and key leader in the civil rights movement. How did the Watts Uprising of 1965 influence King? In shifting its attention from the Jim Crow South to the structural injustices in the rest of the country, how did King suggest that the movement’s understanding of racial injustice should evolve?

According to King’s analysis, how do race and class intersect? Why does he emphasize the issue of economic injustice throughout the book, and how does he connect this to the battle against racism during the 1960s?