Note: Election Day by Keith Thomas Walker is the eighth book in
the Decades:
A Journey of African American Romance series. This series consists of
12 books, each set in one of 12 decades between 1900 and 2010. Each story
focuses on the romance between African American protagonists, but also embraces
the African American experience within that decade. Join the journey on our
Facebook page, http://bit.ly/2z9sMrd.
Greetings!
My name is Keith Thomas Walker. I’m the
author of more than a couple dozen novels. I mostly write romance, but I’ve
written suspense, Christian fiction, young adult and poetry, too.
Election Day is my first historical romance, and I had a lot of
fun with it. For me, this is a little surprising because I hated history when I
was in school. Most of my history classes seemed to require rote memorization
to pass; all of those dates and names and places. I find that style of learning
very unappealing. But as an adult, I’ve fallen in love with history. I can
study wars and the Civil Rights Movement for hours and never get bored. I think
this is because I no longer have to memorize everything I read!
Here’s my blurb for Election Day: Despite
legal efforts to integrate schools, black students continue to struggle with
separate and unequal environments in
1970. Leo Davis, an ambitious mayoral candidate, seeks to close a dark chapter
in Overbrook Meadows’ history, but the opposition is fierce. Falling for his
campaign manager was never part of the plan. Leo and Carla must fight for their
love, their safety, and the future of their beloved city.
While writing this book, I did a good
amount of research on the trials and tribulations this country faced with
school integration. A lot of what I read was disheartening; to know how hard
segregationists fought to avoid doing what’s right. They protested the black
students when they tried to attend school. They harassed and even murdered our
leaders. Governor George Wallace of Alabama gave his infamous inaugural speech,
saying, “In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I
draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and
I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.”
With opposition from as far up as the
governor’s office, you can see why it took more than 20 years to get some of
the southern cities to comply with court orders. The Supreme Court decided
segregated schools were illegal in 1954, and they were still ruling on
segregation lawsuits as late as 1974. The federal government is the only reason
some southern cities and states finally integrated their schools. Governors
like Wallace could complain all they wanted, but when the president is against
you and he sends troops from the National Guard to protect students, good will
eventually triumph over evil.
But not all of the Supreme Court’s
rulings were helpful. I find it troubling that in the 1970s the court began to
reverse a lot of the positive changes they brought to the schools and
universities. In 1978, the court ruled affirmative action was unconstitutional.
In 1991, the court ruled it was not its plan to maintain integration “in
perpetuity,” which made it easier for schools to abandon their desegregation
efforts. In 2002, a
report from Harvard’s Civil Rights Project concluded that America’s schools
were resegregating. In 2003, the study found that schools were more segregated
in 2000 than in 1970 when busing for desegregation began.
About Keith Thomas Walker
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4 comments:
I absolutely love the cover of this book. It really draws you in.!
I agree that our history seems to be moving backwards and today it is looking even worse for integration. It really goes to show how politics and leadership can make a difference at every level of our government. I truly hope that those who don't want to have history repeat itself will work hard to elect people locally, at the state level and nationally to make sure that doesn't happen.
Now I'm off to buy this book because the cover is AMAZING and the topic is very apropro to today.
We can't take progress for granted. I love that this book is about working at the local level to support all our citizens and promote justice! We can't go wrong with that approach, and it's something every one of us can do.
This project has been sharing about books written during my lifetime. Not that I have many memories of the '40's but I certainly do of the 1970's. I echo Sarah's words that we cannot take progress for granted nor can we hope someone else steps up to challenge the reversal of rights that in the case of Civil Rights, many people died for. Thank you for pointing out the importance of acting local and that love can come when least expected.
Yes, we still have a long ways to go to keep our promises to the American people. But authors like you serve a purpose to remind us of where we've been and where we want to end up. Thanks!
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