Knocking down barriers

"In Knocking Down Barriers, Truman K. Gibson Jr. chronicles a life spent at the center of the struggle for racial justice. More than sixty years ago, Gibson reported for duty to a civilian post in the War Department created to represent the interests of African American soldiers. He had no illusions about the prospects of these servicemen, yet as a Chicagoan who'd immersed himself in the vibrant African American culture of prewar America, he was disheartened by Jim Crow's powerful grip on Washington and the military establishment. Through two presidential administrations, Gibson played a…