The Cost of the Vote

"A vivid, thoughtful, wonderfully detailed, and carefully written description of a key battle in the early years of the Civil Rights Revolution. Click brings to center stage the complicated stories of neglected figures who accomplished much in the face of frightening resistance. Her portrayal of George Elmore is an excellent contribution to the ongoing construction of a realistic historical record."—Randall Kennedy, Michael Klein Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, author of The Persistence of the Color Line: Racial Politics and the Obama Presidency

"Her rich and detailed portrait of Elmore and his community brings 1940s South Carolina to life. Click's deft use of archival material illuminates the humanity of a family man who risked so much in the struggle for Black equality."—Sid Bedingfield, University of Minnesota, author of Newspaper Wars: Civil Rights and White Resistance in South Carolina, 1935-1965

"Click immerses us in the self-justifying racist rhetoric of the time and introduces us to the daring of Elmore's fellow NAACP activists and the heartbreak of Elmore's family. She returns this hero to us."—Claudia Smith Brinson, author of Stories of Struggle: The Clash Over Civil Rights in South Carolina and Injustice in Focus: The Civil Rights Photography of Cecil Williams

"In this powerful and moving tribute, Click presents in fine detail the history surrounding the landmark case, Elmore v. Rice (1947). The Cost of the Vote is a compelling narrative of patriotism and courage, an essential reminder of the personal contributions of unsung heroes who have paved America's path to voting rights."—Orville Vernon Burton, Clemson University, author of Justice Deferred: Race and the Supreme Court