Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Memoir
Approximate word count: 40-45,000 words
Availability
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Author:
The first
African American student to attend his local all white high school, Wayne Casey
later broke the color barrier as the first black in the managers training
program at Traveler’s Insurance. He currently lives near Atlanta.
For more,
visit Casey’s website.
Description:
The story
of the first student to “cross the color line” in his town by attending a
previously all white high school in rural West Virginia.
Appraisal:
I think this
book and others like it are important for many reasons.
To start,
as a firsthand account of events of historical significance. Many people (I’d
like to think most) are aware of the big names in the struggle for equality
that took place in the 50s and 60s. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and Medgar
Evers come to mind. But how many have heard of Wayne Casey? It’s important to
realize that there were numerous people who took a stand that weren’t as
prominent as King or didn’t get the same attention from the press as Parks, but
still did their part in ways large and small.
Then
there’s that whole understanding history lest it repeat itself thing. Younger
generations were born into a different world than Casey. Understanding his
experience not only illustrates what progress has been made, but might also
illuminate where more change is needed, not just for those of minority races,
but for any group that is discriminated against for being different.
Last, it’s
a good story for anyone interested in understanding what it was like to grow up
in a different time or place.
Format/Typo Issues:
A small
number of typos and other copy editing/proofreading issues.
Rating: **** Four Stars
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