Leaders of Black Civil Rights

The Lucent History Makers series was a classroom workhorse for good reason — accessible prose, primary sources woven in, and a clear scope that works for middle-grade research. Covering Thurgood Marshall, MLK, Malcolm X, and four others in one volume gives students a useful comparative starting point. It's showing its age at 25 years old, so pair it with more recent sources, but as a foundational text for younger teens it still earns its place.