Genre: Non-Fiction
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As a fan of "Real Time With Bill Maher", I am familiar with frequent guest Jon Meacham. I enjoy listening to him and decided to give his book, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, a try, and though it is filled with depressing windows into our history, it gave me great hope. He isn’t saying that we aren’t in a frightening period of bigotry right now but rather that we have been there before and came out the other end.
He begins the book with then governor of South Carolina, Strom Thurmond on October 7, 1948. Thurmond was the segregationist Dixiecrat candidate for president, and he was railing against President Truman’s civil rights program that included anti-lynching legislation and protection against racial discrimination in hiring. He felt this would undermine the American way of life and stated “there’s not enough troops in the army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the nigra race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes and into our churches.” He was interrupted by cheers and standing ovations, but ultimately he was defeated.
He was not the first, and surely not the last politician to rile up crowds. In August of 2017, white supremacy reared its head again in Charlottesville where twenty-first century klansmen and neo-nazis riled up a group of their followers in support of then Republican candidate Donald Trump. Meacham shared many surprising stories featuring our presidents through the years, but the most important thing to take away is that ultimately our better angels won the battles.
I found the stories interesting, the writing captivating and the message heartening. Thanks Jon, we needed that this week.
- Beverly
Publisher - Random House
Date of Publication - May 8, 2018
He begins the book with then governor of South Carolina, Strom Thurmond on October 7, 1948. Thurmond was the segregationist Dixiecrat candidate for president, and he was railing against President Truman’s civil rights program that included anti-lynching legislation and protection against racial discrimination in hiring. He felt this would undermine the American way of life and stated “there’s not enough troops in the army to force the Southern people to break down segregation and admit the nigra race into our theaters, into our swimming pools, into our homes and into our churches.” He was interrupted by cheers and standing ovations, but ultimately he was defeated.
He was not the first, and surely not the last politician to rile up crowds. In August of 2017, white supremacy reared its head again in Charlottesville where twenty-first century klansmen and neo-nazis riled up a group of their followers in support of then Republican candidate Donald Trump. Meacham shared many surprising stories featuring our presidents through the years, but the most important thing to take away is that ultimately our better angels won the battles.
I found the stories interesting, the writing captivating and the message heartening. Thanks Jon, we needed that this week.
- Beverly
Publisher - Random House
Date of Publication - May 8, 2018
