Louis Austin and the Carolina Times - by Jerry Gershenhorn (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Louis Austin (1898-1971) came of age at the nadir of the Jim Crow era and became a transformative leader of the long black freedom struggle in North Carolina. From 1927 to 1971, he published and edited the Carolina Times, the preeminent black newspaper in the state. He used the power of the press to voice the anger of black Carolinians, and to turn that anger into action in a forty-year crusade for freedom.

In this biography, Jerry Gershenhorn chronicles Austin's career as a journalist and activist, highlighting his work during the Great Depression, World War II, and the postwar civil rights movement. Austin helped pioneer radical tactics during the Depression, including antisegregation lawsuits, boycotts of segregated movie theaters and white-owned stores that refused to hire black workers, and African American voting rights campaigns based on political participation in the Democratic Party. In examining Austin's life, Gershenhorn narrates the story of the long black freedom struggle in North Carolina from a new vantage point, shedding new light on the vitality of black protest and the black press in the twentieth century.

Review Quotes

"Both a good read and a valuable piece of scholarship. . . . A rich and nuanced study based on extensive archival research. [This] biography of Austin makes significant contributions in the fields of Southern history, civil rights, and journalism history."--North Carolina Historical Review

"Convincingly argues that Austin merits a place of prominence for being 'one of the most fearless and effective' of southern black journalists. . . . Carefully researched, well-written, and an important addition to the scholarship of the black press, as well as the history of North Carolina."--Journalism History

"Jerry Gershenhorn recovers the inspiring story of Louis Austin--journalist, proprietor, and editor of the Durham, North Carolina, Carolina Times. In recounting Austin's leadership in the local African American community, Gershenhorn tells us a larger tale that highlights the importance of advocacy journalism in the pursuit of truth and justice."--Journal of Southern History