Harold Wayne Greenhaw (February 17, 1940 – May 31, 2011) was an American writer and journalist. The author of 22 books who chronicled changes in the American South from the civil rights movement to the rise of a competitive Republican Party,[1] he is known for his works on the Ku Klux Klan[2] and the exposition of the My Lai Massacre of 1968.[3] Greenhaw wrote for various Alabamian newspapers and magazines, worked as the state's tourism director, and was considered "a strong voice for his native state".[4]
Greenhaw visiting Snead State on February 23, 2011
Born in Sheffield, Alabama, Greenhaw and his family moved to Tuscaloosa when he was ten. He attended Tuscaloosa High School, and at age fourteen contracted polio and spent the better part of a year in a body cast. During this time he read Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner and decided to become a writer. He enrolled at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and studied under the creative writing professor Hudson Strode.[1] He wrote for The Montgomery Journal (which was later incorporated into the Montgomery Advertiser) and helped break the story of the indictment of William Calley for murder on September 12, 1969;[5] Greenhaw was one of only a few people who spent time with Calley in that time,[6] having him over at his house in Montgomery, Alabama.[7] The story earned him a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University[8] in 1973.[9]
He wrote for and edited the Alabama Magazine in the 1980s, and wrote for The New York Times and Time.[10] From 1993 to 1994, he served as Alabama's state tourism director under DemocraticGovernor James Folsom Jr.,[1] and was awarded the Harper Lee Award for Alabama's Distinguished Writer in 2006.[10] His papers are held in Auburn Montgomery's library.
Greenhaw died on May 31, 2011, in Birmingham from complications during heart surgery.[11]
Workedit
His book Fighting the Devil in Dixie: How Civil Rights Activists Took on the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama was hailed as "an important addition to the civil rights record"; the book is "a scholarly account based on interviews, court records, and newspaper articles" that has "readability and poignancy".[12]
Greenhaw navigates through the explosive events that spurred a sea change in race relations, encompassing both the villains-e.g., Robert "Dynamite Bob" Chambliss, who supplied the explosives responsible for many of the bombings, including the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in 1963-and the numerous heroes, such as the sole early black lawyers in Selma, J.L. Chestnut Jr., and Orzell Billingsley; attorney Charles Morgan in Birmingham; the intrepid Freedom Fighters, demonstrators and student writers for the Southern Courier; and Morris "Bubba" Dees Jr., who moved from representing racists to ardent civil-rights lawyer and co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center. The author skillfully weaves a rich historical tapestry from his deeply engaged, firsthand observations.[13]
He co-wrote with Donnie Williams The Thunder of Angels: The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the People Who Broke the Back of Jim Crow. Williams and Greenhaw "expose the reader to lesser-known figures" of the Montgomery bus boycott, "bring[ing] to life the boycott that catapulted the nation into the civil rights era, portraying the personal sacrifices and heroism of ordinary people".[14] Among his friends were a number of notables who were active in the civil rights movement, including Judge Frank M. Johnson,[15] and notable Alabama professors and writers such as William Bradford Huie, Harper Lee,[1]Don Noble,[1]Rick Bragg,[1] and Truman Capote.[16]
In his book on George Wallace, George Wallace and the Defeat of the American Left, "Greenhaw portrays Wallace as a surprisingly intelligent man whose worst flaw is not racism (or even cynicism) but egocentricity".[17]
Select bibliographyedit
The Making of a Hero: A Behind-the-Scenes View of the Lt William Calley Affair (Louisville: Touchstone, 1971)
Elephants in the cottonfields: Ronald Reagan and the new Republican South (New York City: Macmillan, 1982)[18]
Fighting the Devil in Dixie: How Civil Rights Activists Took on the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama (Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2011)[19]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefCobb, Mark Hughes (June 1, 2011). "Noted writer Wayne Greenhaw dies at age 71". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^Gerlach, Michele (June 7, 2011). "Did Carter, like Wallace, change?". Andalusia Star-News. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^Benn, Alvin (May 31, 2011). "Alabama author Wayne Greenhaw dies". Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^"Greenhaw: A strong voice for his native state (editorial)". Press-Register. June 3, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
^Oliver, Kendick (2006). The My Lai massacre in American history and memory. Manchester UP. pp. 43–44. ISBN978-0-7190-6891-1.
^Faludi, Susan (2000). Stiffed: the betrayal of the American man. HarperCollins. p. 347. ISBN978-0-380-72045-3.
^Beidler, Philip D. (2007). American wars, American peace: notes from a son of the empire. U of Georgia P. p. 83. ISBN978-0-8203-2969-7.
^"Obituaries for 06/03/2011". Montgomery Advertiser. June 2, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^ abBusch, Matthew (May 31, 2011). "Award-winning Alabama author Wayne Greenhaw dies". The Birmingham News. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^Cobb, Mark Hughes (June 1, 2011). "Noted writer Wayne Greenhaw dies at age 71". Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
^Ennis, Lisa A. 2011. Fighting the Devil in Dixie: How Civil Rights Activists Took on the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama.Library Journal 136.3: 120. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed June 14, 2011).
^2010. "Fighting the Devil in Dixie: How Civil Rights Activists Took on the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama." Kirkus Reviews 78, no. 20: 1043. Literary Reference Center, EBSCOhost (accessed 14 June 2011).
^Ford, Vernon. 2005. "The Thunder of Angels: The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the People Who Broke the Back of Jim Crow." Booklist 102, no. 2: 14. Literary Reference Center, EBSCOhost (accessed June 14, 2011).
^McFadden, Robert D. (July 24, 1999). "Frank M. Johnson Jr., Judge Whose Rulings Helped Desegregate the South, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^Stashick, Morgan (February 2009). "Wayne Greenhaw lectures on journalism industry". The Auburn Plainsman. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^Berry, Jason. 1976. "George Wallace and the Defeat of the American Left." Nation 222, no. 14: 442. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed June 14, 2011).
^Apple Jr., R.W. (April 5, 1989). "Washington Talk: The Capital; The G.O.P. Chairman's Southern Strategy: A Mission That Looks Impossible". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2011.
^Algarin, Matt (January 12, 2011). "Civil rights book has Destin connection". The Destin Log.
wayne, greenhaw, harold, february, 1940, 2011, american, writer, journalist, author, books, chronicled, changes, american, south, from, civil, rights, movement, rise, competitive, republican, party, known, works, klux, klan, exposition, massacre, 1968, greenha. Harold Wayne Greenhaw February 17 1940 May 31 2011 was an American writer and journalist The author of 22 books who chronicled changes in the American South from the civil rights movement to the rise of a competitive Republican Party 1 he is known for his works on the Ku Klux Klan 2 and the exposition of the My Lai Massacre of 1968 3 Greenhaw wrote for various Alabamian newspapers and magazines worked as the state s tourism director and was considered a strong voice for his native state 4 Greenhaw visiting Snead State on February 23 2011 Contents 1 Biography 2 Work 3 Select bibliography 4 References 5 External linksBiography editBorn in Sheffield Alabama Greenhaw and his family moved to Tuscaloosa when he was ten He attended Tuscaloosa High School and at age fourteen contracted polio and spent the better part of a year in a body cast During this time he read Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner and decided to become a writer He enrolled at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and studied under the creative writing professor Hudson Strode 1 He wrote for The Montgomery Journal which was later incorporated into the Montgomery Advertiser and helped break the story of the indictment of William Calley for murder on September 12 1969 5 Greenhaw was one of only a few people who spent time with Calley in that time 6 having him over at his house in Montgomery Alabama 7 The story earned him a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University 8 in 1973 9 He wrote for and edited the Alabama Magazine in the 1980s and wrote for The New York Times and Time 10 From 1993 to 1994 he served as Alabama s state tourism director under Democratic Governor James Folsom Jr 1 and was awarded the Harper Lee Award for Alabama s Distinguished Writer in 2006 10 His papers are held in Auburn Montgomery s library Greenhaw died on May 31 2011 in Birmingham from complications during heart surgery 11 Work editHis book Fighting the Devil in Dixie How Civil Rights Activists Took on the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama was hailed as an important addition to the civil rights record the book is a scholarly account based on interviews court records and newspaper articles that has readability and poignancy 12 Greenhaw navigates through the explosive events that spurred a sea change in race relations encompassing both the villains e g Robert Dynamite Bob Chambliss who supplied the explosives responsible for many of the bombings including the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in 1963 and the numerous heroes such as the sole early black lawyers in Selma J L Chestnut Jr and Orzell Billingsley attorney Charles Morgan in Birmingham the intrepid Freedom Fighters demonstrators and student writers for the Southern Courier and Morris Bubba Dees Jr who moved from representing racists to ardent civil rights lawyer and co founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center The author skillfully weaves a rich historical tapestry from his deeply engaged firsthand observations 13 He co wrote with Donnie Williams The Thunder of Angels The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the People Who Broke the Back of Jim Crow Williams and Greenhaw expose the reader to lesser known figures of the Montgomery bus boycott bring ing to life the boycott that catapulted the nation into the civil rights era portraying the personal sacrifices and heroism of ordinary people 14 Among his friends were a number of notables who were active in the civil rights movement including Judge Frank M Johnson 15 and notable Alabama professors and writers such as William Bradford Huie Harper Lee 1 Don Noble 1 Rick Bragg 1 and Truman Capote 16 In his book on George Wallace George Wallace and the Defeat of the American Left Greenhaw portrays Wallace as a surprisingly intelligent man whose worst flaw is not racism or even cynicism but egocentricity 17 Select bibliography editThe Making of a Hero A Behind the Scenes View of the Lt William Calley Affair Louisville Touchstone 1971 Elephants in the cottonfields Ronald Reagan and the new Republican South New York City Macmillan 1982 18 Fighting the Devil in Dixie How Civil Rights Activists Took on the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama Chicago Lawrence Hill Books 2011 19 References edit a b c d e f Cobb Mark Hughes June 1 2011 Noted writer Wayne Greenhaw dies at age 71 Tuscaloosa News Retrieved June 14 2011 Gerlach Michele June 7 2011 Did Carter like Wallace change Andalusia Star News Retrieved June 14 2011 Benn Alvin May 31 2011 Alabama author Wayne Greenhaw dies Montgomery Advertiser Retrieved June 14 2011 Greenhaw A strong voice for his native state editorial Press Register June 3 2011 Retrieved June 17 2011 Oliver Kendick 2006 The My Lai massacre in American history and memory Manchester UP pp 43 44 ISBN 978 0 7190 6891 1 Faludi Susan 2000 Stiffed the betrayal of the American man HarperCollins p 347 ISBN 978 0 380 72045 3 Beidler Philip D 2007 American wars American peace notes from a son of the empire U of Georgia P p 83 ISBN 978 0 8203 2969 7 Obituaries for 06 03 2011 Montgomery Advertiser June 2 2011 Retrieved June 14 2011 Nieman Fellowships Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University Retrieved June 14 2011 a b Busch Matthew May 31 2011 Award winning Alabama author Wayne Greenhaw dies The Birmingham News Retrieved June 14 2011 Cobb Mark Hughes June 1 2011 Noted writer Wayne Greenhaw dies at age 71 Tuscaloosa News Retrieved April 6 2013 Ennis Lisa A 2011 Fighting the Devil in Dixie How Civil Rights Activists Took on the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama Library Journal 136 3 120 MasterFILE Premier EBSCOhost accessed June 14 2011 2010 Fighting the Devil in Dixie How Civil Rights Activists Took on the Ku Klux Klan in Alabama Kirkus Reviews 78 no 20 1043 Literary Reference Center EBSCOhost accessed 14 June 2011 Ford Vernon 2005 The Thunder of Angels The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the People Who Broke the Back of Jim Crow Booklist 102 no 2 14 Literary Reference Center EBSCOhost accessed June 14 2011 McFadden Robert D July 24 1999 Frank M Johnson Jr Judge Whose Rulings Helped Desegregate the South Dies at 80 The New York Times Retrieved June 14 2011 Stashick Morgan February 2009 Wayne Greenhaw lectures on journalism industry The Auburn Plainsman Retrieved June 14 2011 Berry Jason 1976 George Wallace and the Defeat of the American Left Nation 222 no 14 442 MasterFILE Premier EBSCOhost accessed June 14 2011 Apple Jr R W April 5 1989 Washington Talk The Capital The G O P Chairman s Southern Strategy A Mission That Looks Impossible The New York Times Retrieved June 14 2011 Algarin Matt January 12 2011 Civil rights book has Destin connection The Destin Log External links editGuide to the papers of Wayne Greenhaw at Auburn Montgomery Wayne Greenhaw in the Encyclopedia of Alabama Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wayne Greenhaw amp oldid 1217416975, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
