What do you think?
Rate this book
Outside the Magic Circle: The Autobiography of Virginia Foster Durr
Virginia Foster Durr is the daughter of a Presbyterian minister, and she was raised in Birmingham during the early years of this century. She attended Wellesley for two years, until her family’s circumstances made it impossible for her to continue. Virginia’s sister Josephine married Hugo Black; and in 1926 Virginia married a young lawyer named Clifford Durr. The Durrs moved to Washington shortly after Roosevelt’s inauguration, and Clifford was one of the “bright young lawyers” whom the new president relied upon to draft the legislation establishing the New Deal. After World War II the Durrs moved to Denver, then to Montgomery, where Clifford became one of the few white lawyers to represent blacks in civil rights cases. During the Durrs’ Washington years Virginia had been active in the movement to abolish the poll tax and in to her liberal causes; and back in Montgomery, she shared Clifford’s commitment to the civil rights movement and served as an inspiration to liberals of both races.
Virginia Durr has succeeded in articulating the pleasures and the difficulties of growing up female in the vigorous young city of Birmingham; the broadening (and in some ways also restricting) of young women’s intellectual horizons and social life at Wellesley; and the excitement of the courtship and marriage of a proper young Southern girl of good family and poor circumstance. She brings to life the social and political climate of Washington during the New Deal and war years, where her close connection to Justice Black gave the Durrs access to people whom they might not have come to know otherwise. A victim of McCarthyism, Clifford returned with Virginia to Montgomery with no job and few prospects. Their decision to become engaged in the civil rights struggle was consistent with their lifelong commitment to follow their consciences, regardless of the social and economic consequences.
“Virginia Durr said it: there were three ways for a well brought-up young Southern white woman to go. She could be the actress, playing out the stereotype of the Southern belle. Gracious to ‘the colored help,’ flirtatious to her powerful father-in-law, and offering a sweet, winning smile to the world. In short, going with the wind. If she had a spark of independence or worse, creativity, she could go crazy—on the dark, shadowy street traveled by more than one Southern belle. Or she could be the rebel. She could step outside the magic circle, abandon privilege, and challenge this way of life. Ostracism, bruised of all sorts, and defamation would be her lot. Her reward would be a truly examined life. And a world she would otherwise never have known.” — from the Foreword by Studs Terkel
Virginia Durr has succeeded in articulating the pleasures and the difficulties of growing up female in the vigorous young city of Birmingham; the broadening (and in some ways also restricting) of young women’s intellectual horizons and social life at Wellesley; and the excitement of the courtship and marriage of a proper young Southern girl of good family and poor circumstance. She brings to life the social and political climate of Washington during the New Deal and war years, where her close connection to Justice Black gave the Durrs access to people whom they might not have come to know otherwise. A victim of McCarthyism, Clifford returned with Virginia to Montgomery with no job and few prospects. Their decision to become engaged in the civil rights struggle was consistent with their lifelong commitment to follow their consciences, regardless of the social and economic consequences.
“Virginia Durr said it: there were three ways for a well brought-up young Southern white woman to go. She could be the actress, playing out the stereotype of the Southern belle. Gracious to ‘the colored help,’ flirtatious to her powerful father-in-law, and offering a sweet, winning smile to the world. In short, going with the wind. If she had a spark of independence or worse, creativity, she could go crazy—on the dark, shadowy street traveled by more than one Southern belle. Or she could be the rebel. She could step outside the magic circle, abandon privilege, and challenge this way of life. Ostracism, bruised of all sorts, and defamation would be her lot. Her reward would be a truly examined life. And a world she would otherwise never have known.” — from the Foreword by Studs Terkel
360 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
6 people are currently reading
541 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 2, 2021
This may go down as the best book I read this year. Durr has such a unique, conversational writing style that makes her a pleasure to read. I found her work to be a true page turner. Born in Alabama in 1903 Durr was part of the heritage of the Old South. Her Grandfather had owned slaves and many of her kin had fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Her childhood memories are filled with summers spent on her grandparents plantation where many former slaves had returned to work as the 'help.' In fact like many, Virginia Durr was raised by blacks but expected, as she got older, to learn their inferiority in the South's highly stratified caste system. Many of her childhood friends were black, but at her 7th birthday party the white and black kids were segregated. She remembers her aunt refusing to accept a piece of birthday cake from her best friend because she was black. She threw a tantrum and destroyed the cake.
It wasn't until many years later while away at Wellesley College that Durr began questioning her upbringing. One month at the dormitory she was assigned to eat lunch next to a black girl. She refused, wondering what her dad would think. She was given a choice to either abide the dorm's eating arrangement or leave school. Her roommate thought she was crazy: she would hug and kiss the blacks who lived at home but was reluctant to eat lunch with them. Durr relented, and opened herself up to meeting new people regardless or race or class.
Durr would go on to work for various organizations in the Roosevelt administration to abolish the poll tax. The poll tax affected poor whites as much as it did blacks. Virginia offers such pearls of wisdom that still ring true today. As she would say, the poor whites would 'cut their own throats.' When they were told that a poll tax would keep blacks from the ballot box, they didn't realize it would also keep them from voting. Even during the Civil War poor whites fought for the institution of slavery even when they owned none because they had been convinced their interests lie with the wealthy plantation owners. I had never thought of the Civil War in such terms. We still see instances today where many are not voting their economic interests but getting caught up in cultural wedge issues.
Virginia and her husband, Clifford Durr, would become involved in the Civil Rights movement of the 50s and 60s. Both of them were friends with Rosa Parks and, along with Water White of the NAACP, bailed her out of jail after her arrest. Clifford counseled Parks, letting her know he could probably get her off on a technicality or she could take the case to the courts which of course is exactly what she did.
Virginia Durr's work is a real gem. It's the story of woman born into white privilege who decides to step 'outside the magic circle.' I can't say enough good things about it. It was written in 1985 but much of what she wrote is still applicable today. It was a real joy to read!
It wasn't until many years later while away at Wellesley College that Durr began questioning her upbringing. One month at the dormitory she was assigned to eat lunch next to a black girl. She refused, wondering what her dad would think. She was given a choice to either abide the dorm's eating arrangement or leave school. Her roommate thought she was crazy: she would hug and kiss the blacks who lived at home but was reluctant to eat lunch with them. Durr relented, and opened herself up to meeting new people regardless or race or class.
Durr would go on to work for various organizations in the Roosevelt administration to abolish the poll tax. The poll tax affected poor whites as much as it did blacks. Virginia offers such pearls of wisdom that still ring true today. As she would say, the poor whites would 'cut their own throats.' When they were told that a poll tax would keep blacks from the ballot box, they didn't realize it would also keep them from voting. Even during the Civil War poor whites fought for the institution of slavery even when they owned none because they had been convinced their interests lie with the wealthy plantation owners. I had never thought of the Civil War in such terms. We still see instances today where many are not voting their economic interests but getting caught up in cultural wedge issues.
Virginia and her husband, Clifford Durr, would become involved in the Civil Rights movement of the 50s and 60s. Both of them were friends with Rosa Parks and, along with Water White of the NAACP, bailed her out of jail after her arrest. Clifford counseled Parks, letting her know he could probably get her off on a technicality or she could take the case to the courts which of course is exactly what she did.
Virginia Durr's work is a real gem. It's the story of woman born into white privilege who decides to step 'outside the magic circle.' I can't say enough good things about it. It was written in 1985 but much of what she wrote is still applicable today. It was a real joy to read!
April 19, 2021
As a history buff, I heartily recommend Outside the Magic Circle: The Autobiography of Virginia Foster Durr. She was the same age as one of my grandmothers and her conversational style of relating events in her life is so familiar to me as I share her background in many ways. Her habit of "placing" people, based on their home and or family is a very common southern way to make conversation. She was from Birmingham, AL, known as The Magic City. She shared the heartbreaking story of her 7th birthday party, ruined by Jim Crow. While living in the Washington, DC area during the 1040's, Virginia worked for years, volunteering for various committees and asking a Congressional representative to put a proposed bill on the floor to eliminate poll taxes. After 8 years of trying and failing, she gave up the work and finally, the Voting Rights Act accomplished that goal in 1964. Virginia and her husband Cliff got caught up in the Communist Red Scare, too. Her experience being questioned by Senator Eastland of MS was news to me.
The racism, bigotry, cancel culture, white supremacy, and political divides she experienced are relatable to today.
The racism, bigotry, cancel culture, white supremacy, and political divides she experienced are relatable to today.
February 18, 2018
This book was by a recommendation by a fellow Alabama friend who said changed her thinking of many of the issues we grow up with in the South.
Mrs. Durr’s life loosely parallels mine, a native Alabamian, attending a women’s college out of state, finding a social and political voice while living in the Washington DC area, having a network of friends in Alexandria, VA, ties to Virginia Theological Seminary. She had led a full life of being part of many of the lives of the political influencers of the day , from the 1930’s to the 1960’s.
I believe the source of her autobiography was based recordings and interviews she made. The version of the book I read was repetitive in some parts, and could have been edited more. If this book was edited more, I truly do believe it should be part of Alabama and Civil Rights history curriculums in schools to give a voice of to what maybe your grandma might have thought, but was too afraid to say during those turbulent times.
Mrs. Durr’s life loosely parallels mine, a native Alabamian, attending a women’s college out of state, finding a social and political voice while living in the Washington DC area, having a network of friends in Alexandria, VA, ties to Virginia Theological Seminary. She had led a full life of being part of many of the lives of the political influencers of the day , from the 1930’s to the 1960’s.
I believe the source of her autobiography was based recordings and interviews she made. The version of the book I read was repetitive in some parts, and could have been edited more. If this book was edited more, I truly do believe it should be part of Alabama and Civil Rights history curriculums in schools to give a voice of to what maybe your grandma might have thought, but was too afraid to say during those turbulent times.
August 13, 2019
The more things change...the more they remain the same
Struck by how relevant her insights are to today's political situation. Scary...that on some levels society has evolved...and on another level remains the same. A must read for anyone trying to understand Alabama
Struck by how relevant her insights are to today's political situation. Scary...that on some levels society has evolved...and on another level remains the same. A must read for anyone trying to understand Alabama
March 30, 2013
Sweet Jesus, what a life. Virginia Foster Durr spent her formative years in Alabama, attended school in the northeast, hobnobbed with everybody from Studs Terkel to Eleanor Roosevelt on Capitol Hill, and finally moved to Montgomery, AL, in 1951, soon before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a city bus. All this while ceaselessly campaigning for progressive political and social causes, much to her family's dismay.
If the style of this book sounds conversational, that's because it is - it's compiled from extensive interviews with Durr. The result is not only a folksy, conversational autobiography from one of the raddest women to come out of Alabama, but it's also a first-hand account of so much 20th-century American history and politics. It drags at times, but don't try to rush through it; instead, take your time and enjoy making the connections throughout the juicy parts of the 20th century, from the first world war through the 1970s.
If the style of this book sounds conversational, that's because it is - it's compiled from extensive interviews with Durr. The result is not only a folksy, conversational autobiography from one of the raddest women to come out of Alabama, but it's also a first-hand account of so much 20th-century American history and politics. It drags at times, but don't try to rush through it; instead, take your time and enjoy making the connections throughout the juicy parts of the 20th century, from the first world war through the 1970s.
June 15, 2015
This book is a fascinating look at Southern politics during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. From the leftovers of slavery, to the midst of the Great Depression, to the Women's rights movement, to the end of the Civil Rights Movement, Virginia Durr weaves an interesting tale of her little part in it all. I really appreciate too, how she tells the story in such a southern way (using southern phrases, the rhythm in her words, and the name-dropping and a little story about each person so that you can know them). I feel as if my great grandmother is sitting down to tell me a story.
Being from the south, I found it interesting the little off-hand remarks that she makes throughout the book that I'm not sure even she realizes the depth of the history behind some of them. For instance, I did not realize that the south was predominantly Democratic until Nixon and the "why" behind that is an interesting story itself. If her book was a wikipedia article, it would be so chock-full of links, the whole thing would be blue.
Being from the south, I found it interesting the little off-hand remarks that she makes throughout the book that I'm not sure even she realizes the depth of the history behind some of them. For instance, I did not realize that the south was predominantly Democratic until Nixon and the "why" behind that is an interesting story itself. If her book was a wikipedia article, it would be so chock-full of links, the whole thing would be blue.
March 27, 2016
A truly amazing woman's story of being a social/civil rights activist for decades. The book itself is
not especially well-organized (taken from interviews she gave over time) but the story-telling is positively hypnotic when read from today's perspective. ALL YOUNG PEOPLE could benefit from her stories of how/who/where/when everything we are dealing with right now, especially in politics, is playing out. Much of what she feared is manifesting in people such as Trump BUT, the good news is that we still have a chance to do it right...and hearing her courage and strength makes me believe that we can make the hard changes that our country simply must make if we want a true democracy.
I know of no other person who actually knew & worked with so many people who are such a great part of our history: John L. Lewis, FDR & Eleanor, The McCarthy hearings, Dr. & Mrs. M.L.King, Nat Hentof, Tom Hayden, The Freedom Riders, the Selma Marchers, and on and on and on.
A real shame is that this book is out of print. We all benefit from knowing so personally this history.
not especially well-organized (taken from interviews she gave over time) but the story-telling is positively hypnotic when read from today's perspective. ALL YOUNG PEOPLE could benefit from her stories of how/who/where/when everything we are dealing with right now, especially in politics, is playing out. Much of what she feared is manifesting in people such as Trump BUT, the good news is that we still have a chance to do it right...and hearing her courage and strength makes me believe that we can make the hard changes that our country simply must make if we want a true democracy.
I know of no other person who actually knew & worked with so many people who are such a great part of our history: John L. Lewis, FDR & Eleanor, The McCarthy hearings, Dr. & Mrs. M.L.King, Nat Hentof, Tom Hayden, The Freedom Riders, the Selma Marchers, and on and on and on.
A real shame is that this book is out of print. We all benefit from knowing so personally this history.
June 9, 2011
Fascinating autobiography of Virginia Foster Durr, whose Antebellum Southern heritage is transformed by her husband and her roles within the FDR Administration, life during the Great Depression and New Deal and personal involvement in the anti-communism movement in Washington DC in the 1940s and 50s and Civil Rights Movement in Alabama in the 1950s and 60s.
I'm still not sure how I would classify Virginia Foster Durr, but did find her life and stories riveting and the book does offer some interesting insight into life in the South in the 20th century.
I'm still not sure how I would classify Virginia Foster Durr, but did find her life and stories riveting and the book does offer some interesting insight into life in the South in the 20th century.
August 7, 2013
In a world of instant fame and mass marketed champions, in short a world with more heroics than actually heroes,Virginia Foster Durr's exciting but modest account of a life lived through the crucial battles for human rights in Twentieth Century America will lift the reader above the din and allow him or her to experience history as it was and contemplate the world as it is today and the kind of true, everyday, simple and civil courage it takes to be kind and to be just. If more people read this book and tried to be as good as the author tried to be, our world would be a better place.
May 3, 2014
I was first read enchanted by this in college when I borrowed a copy from my bestie, who was taking a women's studies class. So it was a personal (re)discovery to find this book again. Before memoir became a modern genre, this is an old school autobiography told in with high southern charm, and the southern flair for storytelling. Along with Helen Keller's The Story of my Life and Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody, this book is one of my old school Southern faves.
August 6, 2013
This "autobiography" of civil rights and voting rights activist Virginia Durr was compiled from oral histories collected from her at two different times. As such it is somewhat "chatty" and choppy, but does one a good sense of who Virginia Durr was. She does not reveal much of her inner thoughts but her reactions to things and people over her life thru the the early 1970's. She lived until 1999 so much was missed.
October 19, 2024
If I figured it right, this autobiography was written by my second great cousin, once removed. I didn't realize to what effort she went to help the cause of women and voting in the United States; however, I did know that she helped Rosa Parks, an NAACP activist, bail out of jail during the Civil Rights movement from 1954 to 1968. Quite an amazing story and amazing woman.
August 14, 2022
A really interesting peek into a different time. I appreciated learning more about a woman I'd never heard of, but who did important and rare work around equity and civil rights in a time when women like her would have typically been silent beneficiaries of white privilege.
Want to read
July 18, 2013bookfinder
December 31, 2022
2022 #5
October 19, 2014
This is a wonderful biography about Virginia Durr and how she worked for civil rights in the South.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews