Clinch River Pearls

Book excerpt: Clinch River Pearls reflects actual events that made headlines across the nation when a tiny hamlet became the crucible of racial tension during the Civil Rights era of the 1950s. When the Supreme Court dictated that schools could no longer be racially segregated, the citizens of Clinton, Tennessee were catapulted into confrontation and violence. The story focuses on blacks and whites alike; on students, teachers, parents, grandparents, and others who took no sides in the great debate but were determined to continue as before, whether that involved compliance with law and local norms or defiance of them. The demonstrations and riots that rocked Clinton severely tested black families on Foley Hill, especially those who became known as the Clinton 12, those first black students required to implement integration. The order tested families (with and without children), leaders in the community attempting to cope, teachers, farmers, and even the majority white students. This story is a multifaceted view of tumultuous times in a quaint, bucolic community, showing how people coped with a new world. Over fifty years later, this is a story that still needs to be told. About the Author: Danny Thomas grew up in East Tennessee. After graduating from Clinton High School and playing football for legendary Bear Bryant at Alabama, he worked as a teacher/administrator for twenty years in Durham, North Carolina. The family-his wife, Cynthia, two daughters, and a son, accompanied him to new jobs in Salisbury and Sanford. Upon retirement in 2006, he began consulting work which allows him time for writing. Now, the family divides their time between home in Winston-Salem and summers on an island retreat in Northern Ontario.