A Most Tolerant Little Town by Rachel Louise Martin

Today, August 28th, is the 60th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. As we reflect on that, here is an excellent new text which deals with racial tensions in America:

According to her publisher, author Rachel Louise Martin is an historian interested in “the politics of memory” and “the power of stories to illuminate why injustice persists in America today.” Since arriving as a research fellow in 2005, she has interviewed over sixty townsfolk from Clinton, Tennessee and has subsequently written A MOST TOLERANT LITTLE TOWN, chronicling “the forgotten story of the first school to attempt court-mandated desegregation in the wake of Brown v. Board.” Readers will feel the tension in the air as ten students walked down from the Hill to join two others; these 12 were met by white adult and white student protestors, some wearing signs around their necks, like in the haunting image on the book’s cover.  Here is a short video summarizing those events:

More video and additional resources are available through PBS Learning Media. Like the Tulsa race massacre and Juneteenth, events at Clinton High School should be taught as part of American history, not be ignored and dismissed as DeSantis’ illiberal education (recently labeled by The Wall Street Journal) would likely do. 

Martin’s A MOST TOLERANT LITTLE TOWN is a valuable contribution and illuminates not only the larger societal trends, but importantly allows readers to better understand and to feel compassion for the students and their families. Her epilogue includes a perceptive 1960 quote from a Clinton High School teacher: “Desegregation involves the admittance of Negro students into a white school in compliance with the law. Integration involves the conversion of the two groups into a smooth-running system, with a working relationship free of tensions.” Martin’s commitment and zeal are evident in her extensive research conducted over several years; at least forty percent of her text is devoted to detailed notes and a wide-ranging bibliography.