I started seriously in 2019 while I was still focused on marketing my book about B-Western cowboy heroes. From then until early 2024, I wrote and researched almost daily, typically from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. I sent the manuscript to editors in Los Angeles in early 2024, and we spent more than a year after that refining it into publishable shape.
I began with an outline I had been developing and then drew heavily on my journals (1965–1988) and scrapbooks (1942–1988). I filled in details using notes and materials I’d saved over the years. In addition to personal library research—buying over 100 books—I also requested and used letters from two dozen longtime friends (including David Housel and George McMillan) to capture their perspectives. I completed three original interviews with public figures like Mayor Steven Reed and attorney Fred Gray. I had planned from the beginning to include an annotated bibliography, which ended up containing more than 450 entries. I wanted this memoir to be more than just one person’s recollections—it’s a contextualized, documented exploration of its times.
I’d been contemplating a memoir since I retired from college teaching in 2014, mainly for my sons. But I couldn’t fully commit until I finished two other projects: ECHOES of Robert E. Lee High School (2015) and Roy, “Rocky,” and Red Ryder, “Hoppy,” Durango and Moore… (2019). Once those were complete, I turned my attention to this memoir. I was especially inspired by a book written by a friend of my journalist-wife, which led me to focus on the theme of racial transformation—why mine changed while others’ didn’t. This book is my attempt to answer that question.
Confronting my father’s racism. My mother didn’t share his views, and even by sixth grade, I could see the difference—especially in how he reacted to Black performers on TV or used racial slurs. Ignoring that aspect wouldn’t have been honest in a book about racism. Inspired by my friend, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Archibald (who faced similar struggles with his father), I decided to tell it plainly in Chapters 1–13 and then offer a fair-minded coda that dealt with the issue compassionately but truthfully.
Another challenge was writing about my own “recovery” from racism without sounding self-congratulatory. I’m still unsure if I succeeded in avoiding that pitfall while staying true to the story.
With honesty. AWAKENINGS is my story of how I gradually overcame the racist attitudes I inherited. I didn’t write it to make myself look good or to shame others. It’s simply what happened, as honestly as I can tell it. I welcome questions and criticism and will respond candidly, without unnecessary hurtfulness. Anyone is welcome to contact me at jimvickrey@gmail.com.
I reached out to two dozen longtime friends, asking them to reflect on when and how their racial attitudes evolved. More than a dozen responded with thoughtful and insightful narratives, which I included with minimal edits (mainly to align tense and flow). I also discovered memoirs by others—such as Toni Tennille of Montgomery—who addressed similar themes. I found the contrast between their gradual changes and my own more sudden shift fascinating.
Among the many I met between 1963 and 1993, the most influential were Whitney Young of the Urban League, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his mentor Dr. Benjamin Mays of Morehouse College, historian John Hope Franklin, actor Sidney Poitier, and Judge Constance Baker Motley, a former civil rights activist and federal jurist. Each helped shape my understanding and personal growth.
Jokingly? Nothing—it’s perfect! But seriously, I’d reduce repetition to trim the page count, strengthen my criticism of misguided attacks on “woke” and DEI initiatives, and shorten some of the long, clause-filled sentences (a law school habit). Better editing could have improved all those things.
I’ve read hundreds of books, both scholarly and popular, and I find the standard endnote or footnote system frustrating—especially for casual readers. I wanted to include key information (author, title, and publication date) in the text itself, so readers wouldn’t have to flip pages to find the source. It’s more transparent and respectful to the reader. That said, I still included a detailed bibliography at the end with any missing info. I’m also a fan of the old-school footnote system, even if it’s now rare.
The Appendix allowed me to present relevant material without interrupting the main text—like a letter to George Wallace Jr. or a tribute to my mentor Dr. Cecil Mackey. Perhaps most surprising is the inclusion of an original Lone Ranger radio script I wrote, using classic broadcast techniques to explore race in the context of Western storytelling.
The annotated bibliography explains why I chose each of the 450+ sources and offers my opinions on their value. It helps the reader understand the purpose and relevance of each reference.
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