The Wilmington Ten
Violence, Injustice, and the Rise of Black Politics in the 1970s
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Janken's account of racial injustice in North Carolina proves even more enlightening through Ron Butler's powerful narration. In 1971, in Wilmington, 10 Civil Rights activists--nine African-American young men and one white woman--were wrongly convicted of arson and conspiracy and served four to six years in prison before their convictions were overturned. Janken explores the decades-long racial tension in the city, confrontations around school education, prosecutorial deceit, and the aftermath of the overturned sentences. With a deep voice and deliberate tone, Butler guides listeners through the events and differing points of view. His steady cadence at times seems too calm for the explosive situations being described. However, his emotional distance allows listeners to focus on the substance of the firsthand accounts. L.E. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
September 28, 2015
Janken (White: The Biography of Walter White, Mr. NAACP) recreates in meticulous detail a trial that became a cause celebre in the 1970s. Setting the scene, he describes how the desegregation of the Wilmington, N.C., school system in 1970 led to rioting, arson, and finally the arrival of the National Guard in early 1971. In the wake of this violence, 10 people—nine African-American men and one white woman—were arrested, tried, and convicted of arson and conspiracy. Janken’s account of their experiences takes readers through their trial, which involved prosecutorial misconduct and flagrantly biased jury selection; the attempts of a coalition of activists to free them; and the overturning of their convictions in 1979. The bittersweet conclusion concerns the difficulty with which the Wilmington 10 resumed their lives, or attempted to. Younger readers may be most surprised by the blatant racism expressed by some of the court officials—for example, the prosecutor making pleased note of the KKK affiliation of potential jurors. The story’s minutiae can become overwhelming, but the subject matter is fascinating, and it’s illustrative of how far Americans still have to go in bridging our society’s divisions. 12 illus.
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