A review by brandinh
A Girl Stands at the Door: The Generation of Young Women Who Desegregated America's Schools by Rachel Devlin

3.0

This comprehensive look at the young women involved in the battle for desegregation is well researched and important. Yet, the author doesn’t offer much of an explanation as to why it was mostly female students involved in early litigation aimed at desegregation. Admittedly, there were likely many factors involved in the why, but an overall discussion of these potential contributing factors would be welcome. A significant portion of the book focuses on the story of a white woman who served as an early advocate for desegregation, despite opposition to her involvement from the NAACP. While the woman in question is admirable for her work on behalf of black students and may be considered deserving of her place in the history books, this book would have been better served focusing on the girls “standing at the door” (young black women attempting to enroll in and desegregate white schools). Recommended for researchers interested in the movement to desegregate schools or civil rights in general, but casual readers would likely be better served by seeking out memoirs/biographical works on the young women involved.