The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement

by Bob Zellner, Constance Curry

Winner of the 2009 Lillian Smith Book Award

Even forty years after the civil rights movement, the transition from son and grandson of Klansmen to field secretary of SNCC seems quite a journey. In the early 1960s, when Bob Zellner’s professors and classmates at a small church school in Alabama thought he was crazy for even wanting to do research on civil rights, it was nothing short of remarkable. Now, in his long-awaited memoir, Zellner tells how one white Alabamian joined ranks with the black students who were sitting-in, marching, fighting, and sometimes dying to challenge the Southern “way of life” he had been raised on but rejected. Decades later, he is still protesting on behalf of social change and equal rights. Fortunately, he took the time, with co-author Constance Curry, to write down his memories and reflections. He was in all the campaigns and was close to all the major figures. He was beaten, arrested, and reviled by some but admired and revered by others. The Wrong Side of Murder Creek , winner of the 2009 Lillian Smith Book Award, is Bob Zellner’s larger-than-life story, and it was worth waiting for.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Historical, Memoir, Autobiography

351 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2008

Reviews

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is crucial that those who made this history be involved in passing it on and interpreting our movement to children and students.”

This quote is the foundation of this book. Zellner was there making history. This book does not sugar coat the seriousness of the discrimination and the activities of the foot soldiers to change the lives of Black and poor Whits in the southern states. His historical recollection must be shared for generations to come.

I look forward to Spike Lee’s movie.

[Haley Blomquist · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guy lived an awesome life where he really helped with the civil rights movement. While he had a co story the writing wasn’t the best. The storyline went chronologically but I definitely lost interest with all the names and tangents.

[Kathy Piselli · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his foreword, Julian Bond mentioned the "unique torments" faced by white civil rights activists, being that they had no support and earned no admiration from their communities. It reminded me of a photo by civil rights movement photographer Danny Lyon of a white woman who had gone across the street [Peachtree Street in Atlanta] for some typing paper and got caught up in a sit-down demonstration. She did something I would have been too frightened to do, which was to start arguing with one of the white toughs harassing the demonstrators, burning them with his cigarette. She ended up joining the demonstrators. I can't think of anything more terrifying than confronting those violent men, yet Zellner and others did it anyway, and did it while espousing nonviolence. Few could believe that Zellner is a Southerner, as it was thought all "Negro-lovers" could not possibly be southerners. Even Zellner observes that though he took a lot of punches, his family took even more.

This is a superb book, filled with excellent recall of the details of events, even about vegetables his family grew and chores he was assigned. He grew up at a time when people still lived in shacks with screenless windows, there were no interstates and getting places took hours and days longer (and picture Auburn Avenue without the Downtown Connector overpass), Mobile Bay was clean enough to eat out of, and it was actually illegal for blacks and whites to fraternize "sitting down" (standing up was all right). "You mean we can be arrested for doing research?" he wonders in amazement as a college student.

People whose lives were touched by the civil rights movement of the sixties will find superb vignettes of some of the less-well-known soldiers of that movement, especially the role some "liberal" Methodist preachers of the time played in the winning of equal rights. Constance Curry is the co-writer for this book, and lots of the excellent narrative flow is probably down to her. Two highlights for me were the slo-mo story of trying to get up the McComb, Miss., City Hall steps while being beaten, and the story of the beers while working on the chain gang in Albany, Ga. Skills he developed during these years came in handy forty years later when he "resisted arrest" on the Shinnecock reservation on Long Island.

[Artie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zellner has an important and inspirational story to tell. I knew that things were bad in the Deep South in the 1960s but I didn't realize just how bad. Sadly there's still lots more work to be done.

[Ellie J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars
Recommended for people who like: autobiographies, nonfiction, history, the Civil Rights Movement, protest books

TW police brutality

I admittedly read this book after I watched the movie based on it. Obviously books tend to be better than their movies, but good god Zellner is far more interesting than the movie makes it seem (and the Huntingdon 5 are way better people than the movie makes them look).

Zellner gives details of his dad's life and his own childhood as a sort of background to the story and how he came to be in a mindset where he got into trouble at Huntingdon. From there he gets into the nitty gritty of the movement and SNCC right up until he leaves (is pushed out) with his wife to start GROW. There's definitely some brutal things going on in this book, but I can't really say I'm surprised. Same with the crappy reporting that was going on.

One of the things I particularly enjoyed reading about was all of the training centers and schools that SNCC and other organizations had going on during this time. When you learn about the Civil Rights Movement in school, they kind of just skip over that portion and focus on the protests or letters only, but the training centers/schools were a bit part of it.

I liked the parts about voter registration too, particularly since that's still an issue we face today and people are still trying to do grassroots organizing around it. It was interesting to read about the tactics they used back then and the kinds of intimidation the opposition would engage in to convince people not to vote or register.

Overall I enjoyed the book and think it includes a lot of information about the movement and organizing. Zellner's anecdotes were interesting, even the more brutal ones, and it's a good read for anyone interested in the movement or civil rights in general.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bob Zellner’s memoir of his life before, throughout, and after his work in SNCC (the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) during the Civil Rights Movement is absolutely outstanding. As a white Southerner, he gives excellent insight not only into the movement, but also into the minds and hearts of the communities that were fighting to keep the South racist, and tells the story with humor and insight. As a young man, it’s clear that he must have driven many of his white teachers wild with his refusal to go along with Jim Crow expectations, and ultimately that led him to arrests, jail, and numerous beatings that are a shameful and despicable part of US history.

I heard Mr. Zellner on an interview with the Living Legacy Project. At one point he said, “I was arrested twice for ‘conspiracy to overthrow the government,’ which of course was just a trumped up charge. I did no such thing. I think it’s shameful now that on January 6th (2021), there were people who actually did try, and they haven’t been arrested for it yet.”

Bob Zellner is an excellent storyteller and has plenty of stories to tell. I would pair this with Linda Blackmon Lowry’s YA book Turning 15 On the Road to Freedom and C.T. Vivian’s It’s In the Action (two other Civil Rights warrior’s books) for a well-rounded picture of the movement from a variety of angles. I give all three 5 stars.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It was most interesting to understand the details of the civil rights movement from Zellner’s perspective. I was a Midwesterner at the time of this part of American history and clearly didn’t appreciate all that occurred. Many endured much to extend basic freedoms to those who were barred because of racial differences. I found the details of the SNCC interesting but not captivating. The ongoing battles Mr. Zellner endured at the hands of Wallace and others was enlightening. The memoir would be a great text for students or add much to a teacher’s curriculum.

[Roberta Havel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Zellner is a nonviolent civil rights icon. He is only to be admired. He put his life on the line to fight for racial equality. What made this memoir interesting was he told the story of the freedom movement as a white southerner.

What amazed me the most about Zellner and his Black cohorts was their commitment to non-violence in spite of being beat up by law enforcement officers and white supremacists. It is no wonder that more of these activists were not killed. It is even more amazing that they stuck with the movement and helped change the world after this illegal punishment.

[Lindsay Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be required reading in high school history class. So often in school we read things were bad during the Civil Rights Movement and that's about it. This book goes into detail about the horrors that those involved went through. And we get it from an unusual perspective: from the eyes of a white man whose father was briefly in the Klan and whose grandfather was in the Klan. Needless to say, this book is a fascinating read.

[Josi G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off I want to say thank you Mr Zellner for the blood, sweat and tears you put into your work over the years; you sir are an amazing and inspirational soul! I’ve wondered often over my 38 years what my life would’ve been like if I’d been born “back then”; your story is how I envision mine would’ve played out. I am beyond thankful that I came across this copy of your book and I cannot wait to research more into all that I learned from you, your comrades and your book!

[Bryant Whelan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zellner’s powerful memoir as a white civil rights activist in the 1960’s is an eye-opener to the courageous and efforts and horrific incidents behind the scenes attempting to pave the way for change. Zellner was in the trenches, bested by police, jailed, shot at, targeted by powerful men, and nearly lynched by the Klan. Read it and your eyes will be opened.

[rubie j smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Familiar territory

I am so familiar with the places in this book. I was born in Perry county Alabama. I attended the University of Alabama when Miss Lucy tried to attend and experienced the rioting that happened. It was an horrific time!! There's one reference I think is wrong
I believe George Wallace was shot in Maryland not that in Birmingham.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You’ll be doing yourself an intellectual favor by reading this book and thoughtfully considering Zellner’s experiences. Well written, captivating and fierce, Zellner’s personal story is a tremendous lesson for those willing to learn.

[Ranette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent recount of the Civil Rights movement during the early 1960;s. A college student whos grandfather was a leader in the KKK, are dissapointsments to each other. The boy joins the movement to help the blacks and his gfather dissagrees.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A totally egrossing, interesting, first hand account of the civil rights movement from a man who was there. Could not believe what he has gone through. I saw him speak after reading the book and he was inspiring.

[Harvey Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful , a must read

I too met Bob though moral mondays here in NC

[Aayan Rezan · Rating 3 out of 5]

quite boring!

[Niral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning and inspiring historical record.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just cannot fathom the hatred people have for other people. Just cannot believe how horrid people treat others. Mr. Zellner's memoir is a fascinating look at the hatred and evil of racism in the US during the 60's. His first-hand testimony to the Civil Right's movement is fascinating to read and very important. He was constantly beaten and jailed for non-violent protests. I am grateful he stood up against segregation and for the work he did throughout his life. Since a lot of that time was planning and meetings, a lot of the book read like minutes and roll call for those meetings. So many names and acronyms... it sometimes felt like just paragraph after paragraph of names. I feel Bob and his work deserves 5 stars at least. But, some of the writing went so slowly I felt frustrated reading it.

[Susan (aka Just My Op) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memoir of Bob Zellner's years working with the Freedom Movement in the South, this is a fascinating story. The son and grandson of Klansmen, there is no reason to think Mr. Zellner wouldn't have continued along the same path. Instead, he worked with SNCC to gain civil rights for all, frequently being the target, among many targets, of violence, murder, and unbelievable injustice. He gives his perspective as one of the first whites to join and last whites to leave SNCC. It is horrible that this period in our history was necessary to establish basic human rights, but I am grateful that Mr. Zellner chose to share his experiences.

The story is fabulous. The book suffers a bit from lack of editing. There are some editing mistakes that break the flow of reading. There are many names of people involved in the movement, and it is hard to keep them straight and remember which person did what earlier in the story. Despite the riveting story, the book can be a little dry in places. Nevertheless, it is a book well worth reading and a story well worth knowing.

[Rick Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Bob Zellner's memoir is like going home again after a long absence. He delves deep for recollections from college days, when he and the Huntingdon College "gang of four" troubled the school's timid administration with their research into the local civil rights movement for a sociology class; and from his work as a SNCC organizer during the early 60's, the influence of his Methodist preacher father and his colleagues, and later work in New Orleans and the Northeastern U.S. Many of those he names are people I knew well myself through the Methodist Alabama-West Florida Conference; among his supporters were Methodist clergy who were my heroes.

[Florence Buchholz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Zellner tells of his firsthand experience in the Civil Rights movement, as a SNCC volunteer. At the end of the book he briefly mentions that he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and I am not surprised. The violence that Zellner and his colleagues were subjected to was astounding. All were willing to die and some actually gave their lives in the struggle for freedom. The courage and vision that they shared of a world not stunted by racism inspired me. I was privileged to meet Bob Zellner at the Virginia Festival of the Book in March of 2010.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement by Bob Zellner (New South Books 2008) (Biography). This volume mentioned Albany briefly and Mayor Asa Kelley. This book said that MLK sold the Albany Movement out – that King had said that “he’d be there to eat Thanksgiving (or Christmas, I forget which) dinner in jail with you” but instead he got bailed out and left town!! DNF, but I read all I wanted or needed. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 2009.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bob Zellner’s memoir of growing up in southern Alabama – the son and grandson of Klansmen – and his subsequent development into a civil rights militant. This book won the Southern Regional Council’s Lillian Smith Award and is being made into a movie directed by one of Spike Lee’s crew. The writing is exciting if sometimes rough. The incredibly powerful story Zellner tells makes it more than worthwhile slogging through the occasional bumpy paragraph.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

amazing accounts of the civil rights movement in the south. the writing was ok...dragged on at times...but that could be due to some ld i have. i'm glad i read it...but cannot believe the crap that has gone on in this country...i cannot believe people actually have racist thoughts...i do not understand. why can't we all just get along?
peace.

[Gail Kearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard some of Zellner's stories, straight from the horse's mouth. This exceeded all I knew. The author has spent 50 years or more in the trenches as an activist. Bob Zellner's memoir should be required reading in all U.S. history classes when dealing with the Civil Rights Movement. It's a gem to be added to the body of literature already on the subject.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have heard of him from the other books I have read on the subject. It was interesting to hear his version of the Movement. Especially poigant to be reading it when Obama was elected to President. How far we have come.....

[Felice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bob is an awesome storyteller & his story tops most. Check out his stories at the moth.org too! xx fx

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

freedom fighters. no joke.

[Ken McDouall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring and sometimes horrible stories from the civil rights movement, from someone who was on the front line for much of the 60s.