Midian, Marshall & Me

About the Book

There was always a difference in Marshall, Texas; there were whites, and there were blacks. Slavery had a big role in the city's early years, and while blacks were emancipated after the Civil War, they were not welcomed into white society. In fact, some of the privileges they had as slaves were taken away.

Marshall was more greatly affected by Reconstruction than it was by the Civil War. Texas became home to a repressive "carpetbagger" state government which the city had to deal with at the same time it was having to transition from an agricultural economy to industrial. Much hate was generated by these carpetbaggers (so named because they brought most of their possessions in a bag made of carpet), hate which seemed to focus on black people and never seemed to subside. Home-burnings and hangings were common events in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

It was this attitude that prevailed through the Great Depression and World War II. The author relates his family life and his friendship with a black boy who lived nearby, beginning with the war years and continuing through their school days.

Fate calls the boys in different directions, one to government and academics, the other to journalism. But their friendship hangs on through the years as they witness and even participate in some of the nation's most incredible history.

About the Author

A native of Marshall, Texas, Jerome Davis began a career in broadcasting at a local radio station. He was there to see first-hand the lunch counter sit-ins that brought Marshall into the civil rights movement. He went on to work as a television journalist, serving as a reporter in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas at the time of John F. Kennedy's assassination. He chronicled the effects the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 on Dallas-Fort Worth. He later turned to public relations, directing communications for the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport as it landed its first planes. He also was responsible for media relations for a major electric utility. He is now retired and lives with Dee, his wife of 45 years, in Colleyville, Texas.