‘Martin Dobrow reveals St. Augustine as a crucible of the Civil Rights Movement, where national injustices met local courage. Told through the actions of everyday people and known heroes, he shows both the triumphs and challenges of answering history’s call. Woven with journalistic rigor and lyrical wonder, this is a timely and beautiful book.’ Ken Burns

‘It’s not easy to find bold new ways to write about Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights struggle, but Martin Dobrow has done it. With painstaking research and splendid prose, he paints a vivid portrait of King and the people surrounding him at a pivotal time in King’s life and in our nation’s history. I couldn’t be more excited about this book.’ Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of King: A Life

‘Important, riveting, and insightful. Martin Dobrow has written a deeply engaging and well-researched study of St. Augustine, Florida, one of the crucial sites of civil rights struggle in the 20th century. Original City, Original Sin recovers the story of how America’s oldest city attracted the Klan, grassroots civil rights activists, journalists, and Martin Luther King Jr. to the front lines of an ongoing struggle to redeem the national soul. Dramatic and well told.’ Peniel Joseph, founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy, University of Texas; author of Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights Revolution

‘Superbly written, Original City, Original Sin is a compelling history that powerfully and poignantly captures the fundamental humanity and courage of those who stepped forward to challenge the racist mores of the segregated South. The intense civil rights struggle in St. Augustine, Florida, finally receives its due as a landmark chapter in the Black freedom struggle.’ David J. Garrow, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of Bearing the Cross: Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference