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This memoir of one man's coming of age through the civil rights movement follows the author from his innocent childhood in the 1950s to his awakening as a full-time organizer in the Deep South, and the staggering costs he was bound to pay. Ernest McMillan came of age in a loving family and a nurturing community in Dallas, Texas, largely shielded from the rampaging tides of white supremacy and the color-based caste system that ruled the day. As he emerged into adulthood, however, fighting for equal rights in the "Black Belt" South and against the status quo of white power in his birthplace, he came face-to-face with forces dead set on eliminating or imprisoning him in perpetuity. Standing serves up an authentic account of a young Black boy growing up in the segregated South and debunks the myth of Dallas as a city that the civil rights movement missed. --
About the author
M. Ernest McMillan is a veteran human rights activist with a history of working through the 60's in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia with the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and throughout the 80¿s with the National Black United Front and the United League of Mississippi. McMillan served as the Chairman of the Dallas SNCC from 1967- 1969. He is deeply involved in the work of connecting arts with the community and developing avenues to foster and engage multigenerational, multicultural bridges for community uplift.
Summary
This memoir of one man's coming-of-age through the Civil Rights movement follows his childhood innocence of white supremacy during the 50’s to his awakening as a full-time organizer in the deep south, and the petrifying costs he was bound to pay.
Standing serves up an authentic memoir of a young Black boy growing up in a highly segregated environment: the heart of Dallas, Texas, during the era where segregation was the law of the land. Ernest McMillan came of age within an loving family and a nurturing community, virtually shielded from the outside--rampaging tides of white supremacy and a caste system squarely based on color. Dallas is often portrayed as a city in which the Civil Rights movement bypassed, but those claims are mythical in word and deed.
McMillan's emergence into manhood fighting for equal rights in the “Black Belt” South and his return to his birthplace to challenge the status quo of the white power structure brought him face to face with forces that were dead set on wiping him off the planet entirely, or imprisoning him in perpetuity.
Foreword
- Campaign highlighting the author’s record of Civil Rights activism and community organizing in the South
- Serialization targeting The Atlantic, The Nation, Texas Monthly, D Magazine
- National review and feature outreach to print publications (NYTBR, New York Times, New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, LA Times, Boston Globe) and online (NPR, Literary Hub, Buzzfeed, The Millions)
- Targeted bookseller mailing; emphasis on regional outreach
- Local coverage outreach to Dallas Morning News, KERA, D Magazine
- Promotion at/events pitched for Texas Book Festival, Dallas Literary Festival
- Virtual and in-person events with bookstores, community organizations
