Elaine Weiss discusses her book, Spell Freedom: The Underground Schools That Built the Civil Rights Movement. It is the story Highlander Folk School, an interracial training center for social change founded by a white southerner with roots in the labor movement. The school became a focal point inspiring Rosa Parks, Pete Seeger, and originating Citizenship Schools. It is also the story of Sempitma Clark, an unsung hero and tireless teacher of the civil right movement. Here is our discussion from April 16, 2025.

Elaine Weiss is an award-winning journalist, author, and public speaker.