Morningside: A Survivor's Story of the Greensboro Massacre

by Aran Robert Shetterly

Overview

An unflinching look at a shocking racial tragedy that divides a Southern city—comparable to the recent events in Charlottesville—and the activists who, in their tireless fight for justice, refuse to give up on America’s promised ideals, and pursue racial reconciliation with hope that their fractured city can heal.

On November 3, 1979, as activist Nelson Johnson assembled people for a march adjacent to Morningside Homes in Greensboro, North Carolina, gunshots rang out. A caravan of Klansmen and Neo-Nazis sped from the scene, leaving behind five dead. Known as the “Greensboro Massacre,” the event and its aftermath encapsulate the racial conflict, economic anxiety, clash of ideologies, and toxic mix of corruption and conspiracy that roiled American democracy then—and threaten it today.

In 88 seconds, one Southern city shattered over irreconcilable visions of America’s past and future. When the shooters are acquitted in the courts, Reverend Johnson, his wife Joyce, and their allies, at odds with the police and the Greensboro establishment, sought alternative forms of justice. As the Johnsons rebuilt their lives after 1979, they found inspiration in Nelson Mandela’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Martin Luther King Jr’s concept of Beloved Community and insist that only by facing history’s hardest truths can healing come to the city they refuse to give up on.

This intimate, deeply researched, and heart-stopping account draws upon survivor interviews, court documents, and the files from one of the largest investigations in FBI history. The persistent mysteries of the case touch deep cultural insecurities and contradictions about race and class. A quintessentially American story, Morningside explores the courage required to make change and the evolving pursuit of a more inclusive and equal future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212038256
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	10/10/2023
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Aran Shetterly is a writer, editor, and narrative historian. He is the author of the critically acclaimed The Americano: Fighting with Castro for Cuba’s Freedom, the founder of the Mexico City-based magazine, Inside Mexico, and a member of the board of the Americans Who Tell the Truth organization. He has received numerous fellowships, including the Virginia Humanities Fellowship and the 2019 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship. Aran holds a BA in literature from Harvard College, and an MA in American Studies. He currently he lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his son and wife, the New York Times bestselling author Margot Lee Shetterly.

Leon Nixon is a professional actor, playwright, and filmmaker. A Los Angeles native, he has performed in short films, web series, and on stage in dramatic and comedic roles. He is also an improviser and part of the group that appears in the Guinness Book of World Records for Longest Continuous Improv Show.

Editorial Reviews

William Morgan, an American who made his way to the front line of Castro’s revolution in Cuba, gets thorough and entertaining treatment in this biography. Largely unknown in the U.S., his story is filled with the suspense of a blockbuster war movie, offering new and insightful perspective into the political climate of 1950s Cuba . . . [turns] the intriguing story of one man into a thoughtful examination of 20th-century Cuban history.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Americano

“The Americano’s strength lies in explaining how the three anti-Batista forces constantly jockeyed for supremacy and influence. . . . Shetterly nicely weaves FBI, CIA and State Department files on Morgan into his narrative.” — Washington Post Book World on The Americano

“Reads like a great epic novel” — Carlos Eire, winner of the 2003 National Book Award for nonfiction, Waiting for Snow in Havana, on The Americano

"A compelling history of one of the most intriguing characters and mysteries of the Cuban Revolution." — Ann Louise Bardach, author of Cuba Confidential and coeditor of Fidel Castro’s Prison Letters, on The Americano

From the Publisher

The Americano’s strength lies in explaining how the three anti-Batista forces constantly jockeyed for supremacy and influence. . . . Shetterly nicely weaves FBI, CIA and State Department files on Morgan into his narrative.

Washington Post Book World on The Americano

"A compelling history of one of the most intriguing characters and mysteries of the Cuban Revolution."

Ann Louise Bardach

Reads like a great epic novel

Carlos Eire

The Americano’s strength lies in explaining how the three anti-Batista forces constantly jockeyed for supremacy and influence. . . . Shetterly nicely weaves FBI, CIA and State Department files on Morgan into his narrative.

The Washington Post Book World