A Most Tolerant Little Town

Adult nonfiction 

     "Though I'd grown up just a few counties away, I had never heard of Clinton High School before that September.  That didn't surprise Clinton's then mayor, Winfred 'Little Wimp' Shoopman.  What had happened there in 1956 'was swept under the rug for fifty years," he told me.  'History, if it was a pie, they were taking a bite out of it every year by not talking about it.  Eventually, the pie was going to be eat up and no more story."

     Fortunately it didn't come to that.  Rachel Louise Martin, author of A Most Tolerant Little Town, started the research that would culminate in the book in 2005.  Her mission was to do an oral history of what was basically the South's first court mandated school desegregation.  It had been requested by a group working to create a small community museum.

     "What happened in this little town between 1956 and 1958 wasn't a small story at the time.  People around the world followed as twelve Black students braved mobs and beatings and bombings for the right to attend high school in their own county.  The Associated Press, Reuters, Life, Time, America's three television networks, even the BBC and the London Daily Sketch, all stationed journalists there.  Pioneering documentarian Edward R. Murrow filmed two award winning specials about the school.  Evangelist Billy Graham hosted a crusade in the school's gymnasium, urging repentance, healing, and reconciliation."

     Martin uses really well chosen details to make the events of over half a century ago come to life for contemporary readers.  She brings in enough back story to clarify but not so much it would overwhelm the narrative.  She includes the characters' thoughts and feelings to show them as complex individuals with strengths and flaws.  

     When I read the book I wasn't surprised by the vehemence of hatred and willingness to do whatever it takes to make the despised other go away.  I was in Boston in the 70s when bussing was mandated to integrate schools.  I saw red faced whites screaming at and throwing rocks at bus loads of terrified little Black children.  

     What surprised me was how close in attitudes both sides in the controversy were.  It wasn't people who were for segregation vs those for integration.  Nearly all the whites preferred segregation, many even seeing it as God's will.  It was for the most part the law and order crowd enforcing a mandate they didn't really care for versus those striving to somehow, legally or otherwise, overturn the mandate.  

     Martin acknowledges that she isn't presenting a narrative with easy to identify heroes and villains.

     "What happened in Clinton is messier than that.  It's a tale of how apathy enables hatefulness.  It's a story of how discord can balloon into violence.  It's an account of how doing the wrong thing gave some people unprecedented power and opportunity.  It's a record of how doing the right thing can leave some individuals permanently scarred, physically and mentally.  It's a chronicle of how a small Southern town can explode, and then a whole entire country can forget."

On a purrrsonal note, I heard some really exciting news last night.  Orono Public Library had put in for government funds to expand our size and increase our offerings to the community.  Along with two other libraries we've made it to the last stage:  Senate and House approval.  I'm cautiously optimistic.  Since 2009 when we moved from the high school to a stand alone location we've added an outdoor garden and amphitheater.  As someone who has volunteered since literally the day the doors opened I very much want to see us achieve our full potential.  (Jules)

Libraries are good.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to our dynamic library director, Laurie Carpenter, her talented crew of librarians, my fellow volunteers, and the patrons who are our raison d'etre.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

     

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