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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
Being from north Georgia, I was anxious to read this book about a county in north Georgia that drove off all the black residents and was "white only" for decades -- until another bout of racial insanity in the late 80s. The author lived with his family in the county during the civil rights march of 1987, and his parents and sister marched in it. This is his attempt at tracing how this area got so heated and bigoted.
When he recounted the history of lynching in this country, and highlighted a few particularly gruesome stories, I had to put the book down for a little bit. It was so horrific to me. You think you've heard how bigoted and torturous people can be to each other, and then you read about a lynching. And since some of this history happened within my lifetime, it's terrifying to think that there are people around me who likely feel the same way some of these white supremacists thought.
Excellent piece of local history, and a book that will give you pause -- especially if you're in the South.
When he recounted the history of lynching in this country, and highlighted a few particularly gruesome stories, I had to put the book down for a little bit. It was so horrific to me. You think you've heard how bigoted and torturous people can be to each other, and then you read about a lynching. And since some of this history happened within my lifetime, it's terrifying to think that there are people around me who likely feel the same way some of these white supremacists thought.
Excellent piece of local history, and a book that will give you pause -- especially if you're in the South.
The author grew up in an all-white county outside Atlanta, a demographic phenomenon that was the result of a reign of terror that literally drove the black community at least across the river. He tells the story of the events that preceded this racist ‘cleansing’ and the erasure that followed allowing descendants to absolve themselves.
This was not a story I had learned of before. This county, it turns out was settled by Oglethorpe and his debtors, which makes it at least plausible that relatives on my grandfather’s side were complicit in these horrendous acts. What is bone chilling, in addition to finding this personal connection, is that it feels we have hardly made progress with elected officials today just as willing to enable violence against black people as the sheriff in this county did over a hundred years ago (he was found on a later list of KKK members). Too familiar, and depressing.
This was not a story I had learned of before. This county, it turns out was settled by Oglethorpe and his debtors, which makes it at least plausible that relatives on my grandfather’s side were complicit in these horrendous acts. What is bone chilling, in addition to finding this personal connection, is that it feels we have hardly made progress with elected officials today just as willing to enable violence against black people as the sheriff in this county did over a hundred years ago (he was found on a later list of KKK members). Too familiar, and depressing.
When you think of white terror in Georgia, your first thought is probably Stone Mountain, GA and its ties to the Klan (not to mention the Confederates carved into the mountain). But this book shows that the Klan were and are a symptom of whiteness generally. The Klan had been gone for 40 years when the whites in Forsyth County lynched several random black folks, and then executed others in a show trial to start a complete removal of all the black residents. 70 years later, things hadn't changed in Forsyth County, but not because of the Klan or the White Citizens Councils. It is the individual white folks who didn't stand up to the racial terrorism in their community who were ultimately responsible for the state of Forsyth County. The most dangerous white folks in Forsyth County didn't wear masks; they didn't have to.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
It's not correct to say that I liked this book, but it is very well written and very important book, although after reading it my faith in humanity is seriously shaken...
Read the first half listened to the second half.
I don’t know what else to say other than if you live in Georgia you need to read this book.
The hate and fear people hold is unfathomable.
So much for the 14th amendment.
Learn the history, spread the history.
I don’t know what else to say other than if you live in Georgia you need to read this book.
The hate and fear people hold is unfathomable.
So much for the 14th amendment.
Learn the history, spread the history.
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Murder
challenging
dark
informative
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Slavery