Grace Towns Hamilton exemplifies the legions of strong southern African American women who transformed a nation with their passion, dignity, integrity, wit, and wisdom.

—Andrew Young

Grace Towns Hamilton's story should be read by all who want to know the whole story of the South's racial revolution.

—Julian Bond

This biography of Grace Towns Hamilton makes a contribution to several overlapping fields: the history of twentieth-century Atlanta and Georgia, the history of the post-World War II civil rights movement, and the history of women's political activism. What comes to light in this book is a fascinating political figure whose career encompasses the many changes of the twentieth-century South.

—Kathryn L. Nasstrom

A member of Atlanta's elite black middle class, Hamilton practiced conciliation, negotiation, and interracial cooperation and achieved results, e.g., increased black voter registration, better housing, improved education and healthcare, and a new Atlanta city charter. She won respect from white politicians but received little approval from the younger, more militant generation of black political leaders. Using oral history and archival material, the authors movingly portray Hamilton as an agent for racial equality.

—Library Journal

Spritzer and Bergmark have captured the velvet essence of 'the most influential black woman of the twentieth century in Atlanta.

—John Egerton

Spritzer and Bergmark have significantly expanded our understanding of Hamilton's influence and impact on southern politics.

—Rudolph P. Byrd