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T. R. M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer
T. R. M. Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer tells the remarkable story of one of the early leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. A renaissance man, T. R. M. Howard (1908-1976) was a respected surgeon, important black community leader, and successful businessman. Howard's story reveals the importance of the black middle class, their endurance and entrepreneurship in the midst of Jim Crow, and their critical role in the early Civil Rights Movement.
In this powerful biography, David T. Beito and Linda Royster Beito shine a light on the life and accomplishments of this civil rights leader. Howard founded black community organizations, organized civil rights rallies and boycotts, mentored Medgar Evers, antagonized the Ku Klux Klan, and helped lead the fight for justice for Emmett Till. Raised in poverty and witness to racial violence from a young age, Howard was passionate about justice and equality. Ambitious, zealous, and sometimes paradoxical, T. R. M. Howard provides a complete portrait of an important leader all too often forgotten.
In this powerful biography, David T. Beito and Linda Royster Beito shine a light on the life and accomplishments of this civil rights leader. Howard founded black community organizations, organized civil rights rallies and boycotts, mentored Medgar Evers, antagonized the Ku Klux Klan, and helped lead the fight for justice for Emmett Till. Raised in poverty and witness to racial violence from a young age, Howard was passionate about justice and equality. Ambitious, zealous, and sometimes paradoxical, T. R. M. Howard provides a complete portrait of an important leader all too often forgotten.
356 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 12, 2019
9 March 2019 - just finished this after reading all week.
Very good book.
I had never heard of TRM Howard till I saw some reviews of this book.
I'm glad I read it - since it was very well written, about a very significant figure in the civil rights movement of the 40s-60s who had apparently been left out of the history till this book.
Reading this book reminded me, no, rather, it highlighted in much greater detail, just how awful the lack of civil rights for blacks in Mississippi (and other places in the country) was in the 30s-50s. It was quite gruesome: the lynchings, the shootings, the beatings, not to mention the terrible treatment in general of blacks. The personal dangers that Teddy Roosevelt Mason Howard went through to stand up for his values - equal treatment before the law, demonstrated great courage and intelligence.
For anyone who wants to find out about the civil rights movement and one towering, but too forgotten, figure in that fight, I highly recommend this book.
For anyone who likes their history straight, with no punches pulled and a highly objective perspective on this period, these issues and an amazing character, this book is it.
For anyone who wants to know about the nitty gritty of how a great leader operated in helping make a major change in our society for the better, check this out.
For those who want to read about an alternative great leader to the preeminent but mythologized civil rights leader ML King, this book is an excellent choice.
Very good book.
I had never heard of TRM Howard till I saw some reviews of this book.
I'm glad I read it - since it was very well written, about a very significant figure in the civil rights movement of the 40s-60s who had apparently been left out of the history till this book.
Reading this book reminded me, no, rather, it highlighted in much greater detail, just how awful the lack of civil rights for blacks in Mississippi (and other places in the country) was in the 30s-50s. It was quite gruesome: the lynchings, the shootings, the beatings, not to mention the terrible treatment in general of blacks. The personal dangers that Teddy Roosevelt Mason Howard went through to stand up for his values - equal treatment before the law, demonstrated great courage and intelligence.
For anyone who wants to find out about the civil rights movement and one towering, but too forgotten, figure in that fight, I highly recommend this book.
For anyone who likes their history straight, with no punches pulled and a highly objective perspective on this period, these issues and an amazing character, this book is it.
For anyone who wants to know about the nitty gritty of how a great leader operated in helping make a major change in our society for the better, check this out.
For those who want to read about an alternative great leader to the preeminent but mythologized civil rights leader ML King, this book is an excellent choice.
February 17, 2025
Readers will marvel at the life of Howard: a machine-gun-toting advocate of protest and nonviolence who courted controversy. Beito reveals the significant yet often overlooked impact of T.R.M. Howard on American history. The authors showcase Howard's dual roles as a Civil Rights activist and entrepreneur, highlighting his advocacy for justice and self-empowerment. This well-researched biography honors Howard's dynamic life as a true Renaissance man, weaving a compelling narrative that could easily inspire a Hollywood film.
June 27, 2018
An important figure who hasn't gotten near the attention he should have gotten, and should get today.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews