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Legion Memorial Library - Mellen

Unexampled courage: the blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring
(Book)

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Published:
New York : Sarah Crichton Books ;, 2019.
Format:
Book
Edition:
First edition.
Physical Desc:
324 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm
Status:
Description

*The book that inspired the 2021 PBS American Experience documentary, The Blinding of Isaac Woodard.*

How the blinding of Sergeant Isaac Woodard changed the course of America’s civil rights history.


Richard Gergel’s Unexampled Courage details the impact of the blinding of Sergeant Woodard on the racial awakening of President Truman and Judge Waring, and traces their influential roles in changing the course of America’s civil rights history.

On February 12, 1946, Sergeant Isaac Woodard, a returning, decorated African American veteran, was removed from a Greyhound bus in Batesburg, South Carolina, after he challenged the bus driver’s disrespectful treatment of him. Woodard, in uniform, was arrested by the local police chief, Lynwood Shull, and beaten and blinded while in custody.

President Harry Truman was outraged by the incident. He established the first presidential commission on civil rights and his Justice Department filed criminal charges against Shull. In July 1948, following his commission’s recommendation, Truman ordered an end to segregation in the U.S. armed forces. An all-white South Carolina jury acquitted Shull, but the presiding judge, J. Waties Waring, was conscience-stricken by the failure of the court system to do justice by the soldier. Waring described the trial as his “baptism of fire,” and began issuing major civil rights decisions from his Charleston courtroom, including his 1951 dissent in Briggs v. Elliott declaring public school segregation per se unconstitutional. Three years later, the Supreme Court adopted Waring’s language and reasoning in Brown v. Board of Education.

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Location
Call Number
Status
Last Check-In
Cable Adult Nonfiction
323.11 GER
Available
Aug 5, 2019
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More Details
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780374107895, 0374107890

Notes

General Note
Nonfiction.
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description
"On February 12, 1946, Sergeant Isaac Woodard, a returning, decorated African American veteran, was removed from a Greyhound bus in Batesburg, South Carolina, after he challenged the bus driver's disrespectful treatment of him. Woodard, in uniform, was arrested by the local police chief, Lynwood Shull, and beaten and blinded while in custody. President Harry Truman was outraged by the incident. He established the first presidential commission on civil rights and his Justice Department filed criminal charges against Shull. In July 1948, following his commission's recommendation, Truman ordered an end to segregation in the U.S. armed forces. An all-white South Carolina jury acquitted Shull, but the presiding judge, J. Waties Waring, was conscience-stricken by the failure of the court system to do justice by the soldier. Waring described the trial as his “baptism of fire,” and began issuing major civil rights decisions from his Charleston courtroom, including his 1951 dissent in Briggs v. Elliott declaring public school segregation per se unconstitutional. Three years later, the Supreme Court adopted Waring's language and reasoning in Brown v. Board of Education. Richard Gergel's Unexampled Courage details the impact of the blinding of Sergeant Woodard on the racial awakening of President Truman and Judge Waring, and traces their influential roles in changing the course of America's civil rights history."--,Provided by publisher.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Gergel, R. (2019). Unexampled courage: the blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring. First edition. New York, Sarah Crichton Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Gergel, Richard. 2019. Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring. New York, Sarah Crichton Books.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Gergel, Richard, Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring. New York, Sarah Crichton Books, 2019.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Gergel, Richard. Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring. First edition. New York, Sarah Crichton Books, 2019.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Grouped Work ID:
961d3f8a-e3d7-7d99-2c23-8bfa1e22a07e
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Record Information

Last Sierra Extract TimeMar 28, 2024 11:46:11 PM
Last File Modification TimeMar 28, 2024 11:46:24 PM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeMar 28, 2024 11:46:16 PM

MARC Record

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5050 |a Introduction: A collision of two worlds -- A tragic detour -- A wave of terror -- "The place was Batesburg" -- The bystander government -- "My God... we have to do something" -- The Isaac Woodard Road Show -- The gradualist -- "A baptism in racial prejudice" -- "I shall fight to end evil like this" -- "We know the way. We need only the will." -- Confronting the American dilemma -- There will be no fines -- Fighting the "battle royal" -- Driving the "last nail in the coffin of segregation" -- Conclusion: Unexampled courage.
520 |a "On February 12, 1946, Sergeant Isaac Woodard, a returning, decorated African American veteran, was removed from a Greyhound bus in Batesburg, South Carolina, after he challenged the bus driver's disrespectful treatment of him. Woodard, in uniform, was arrested by the local police chief, Lynwood Shull, and beaten and blinded while in custody. President Harry Truman was outraged by the incident. He established the first presidential commission on civil rights and his Justice Department filed criminal charges against Shull. In July 1948, following his commission's recommendation, Truman ordered an end to segregation in the U.S. armed forces. An all-white South Carolina jury acquitted Shull, but the presiding judge, J. Waties Waring, was conscience-stricken by the failure of the court system to do justice by the soldier. Waring described the trial as his “baptism of fire,” and began issuing major civil rights decisions from his Charleston courtroom, including his 1951 dissent in Briggs v. Elliott declaring public school segregation per se unconstitutional. Three years later, the Supreme Court adopted Waring's language and reasoning in Brown v. Board of Education. Richard Gergel's Unexampled Courage details the impact of the blinding of Sergeant Woodard on the racial awakening of President Truman and Judge Waring, and traces their influential roles in changing the course of America's civil rights history."--|c Provided by publisher.
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