On the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Soul on Ice, we selected this book because of its longstanding contribution to the discussion of race in America. Fifty years later, due to Cleaver's sometimes contentious opinions and divisive perspectives, it is a book that continues to spark controversy- both in reaction to the times and events surrounding the book's original publication, and by seeing it within the context of the times in which we live. The committee's hope is that Soul on Ice will be read as more than a period piece, but instead as a book whose fierce and controversial perspectives will spark conversations and inquiries into our nation's past, present, and future. - The Birss Committee, 2017
