About the book
What is AWAKENINGS About?
AWAKENINGS begins with “Earline,” a North Alabama grandmother, and “Blue Jesus,” a boyhood Burkville friend of the author, and ends with a conversation with the latter’s late, racist father. In between, readers encounter first-hand accounts of a variety of famous events—a visit to JFK’s eternal flame weeks after his death, the Bus Boycott, the Selma to Montgomery March (“How long? Not long.”), and Hollywood tributes to such “liberals” as Gene Kelly, Billy Wilder, and Sidney Poitier. The book also honors Mrs. Rosa Parks, the naming of UM as Alabama’s public liberal arts college, and more. See the cover’s pentagon.
Notable individuals featured include Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, and Woody Strode; Governors Reubin Askew, George C. Wallace, LeRoy Collins, and John Patterson; civil rights figures John Hope Franklin, A.G. Gaston, Fred Gray, and Whitney Young; Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. (and Barbara) Bush, and VP Joe Biden; Presidential candidates Al Gore, Hubert H. Humphrey, George McGovern, and Walter Mondale; as well as federal judges Frank M. Johnson, Delores Boyd, Vanzetta McPherson, Myron Thompson, and Justice Hugo Black.
Beyond personal and historical narratives, the book includes political proposals, university PR ideas, analysis of the “costs of racism,” and ways to ensure equal opportunity in higher education without reverse discrimination. It also explores the importance of organizational mission in planning and budgeting, offers notes on how to read ancient manuscripts, discusses rational decision-making, and reflects on the value of hobbies. All for less than $25.00
A MEMOIR WITH A DIFFERENCE
This is a memoir with a difference. It’s not just the story of one of Alabama’s most impactful college presidents—it’s also a thoughtful commentary on key personalities and pivotal national and state events spanning seven decades (1954–2024). What sets it further apart is that each of its 13 chapters concludes with one or more practical “lessons,” offering readers meaningful takeaways from a life deeply lived and closely observed.
THE MOVIES IN THE BOOKS
Movie references are woven throughout Dr. Vickrey’s writings, and AWAKENINGS is no exception. From Gone with the Wind and Song of the South to Intruder in the Dust, The Help, and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, to Hombre, Kramer vs. Kramer, Good Morning, Miss Dove, High Noon, and Shane, dozens of film titles appear—films he’s written about, referenced in speeches, or drawn from for insight and reflection. Out of the estimated 3,500 feature films he’s seen—some while serving on the Alabama Film Commission and in the American Film Institute and other organizations—many have left a lasting impression. A passionate and knowledgeable Oscar fan, Dr. Vickrey brings cinematic depth and perspective to his storytelling, even while discussing serious civil rights matters.
