My Black History month reading

Back in the day when I was a teacher/librarian, I always found myself delving more into Black History during February each year.  This year during February, I read The Fall of the House of Dixie by Bruce Levine.  It was a bit of a slow read, but full of quotes from first source material (the back one third of the book is footnotes).  It was also detailed in explaining the political and military steps taken by government and military leaders.  It was fascinating to have the point of view of the south so minutely explained.  Most of all, my heart was full as I read accounts of those enslaved and who were now free.  Dixie was forever changed as it needed to be.  What nation can rise up as a true democracy when plantation owners enrich themselves on hundreds and thousands of acres of land worked by hundreds and even thousands of slaves?  The Civil War, though horrible, was needful as House of Dixie fell to its knees.