Growing Up White: In the Heart of Memphis - Paperback

by David May (Author)

This is the story of the enlightenment of one young man who lived through the Civil Rights Movement, who sympathized with it, cheered for it even, loved the music of it; but who didn't do anything significant about it. It will take you from WW2 to Viet Nam, from the murder of Emmet Till to the integration of Little Rock Central High School and from a Black Boy Scout Camp to James Meredith's admission to Ole Miss. It tells of our adoption of an eleven-year-old Black boy, of the mother who ran away and the church that ran away, of my rescue by a Nigerian man, and of our successful efforts to get Black foster children adopted. In the end it asks what Jesus would do and it suggests the beginning of a solution to our current racial issues.

Author Biography

David May lives with his wife, Charlene, in a condo in Lilydale, Minnesota, just across the Mississippi River from Saint Paul. He is a former Marine Captain with time in Viet Nam. He is the retired Social Service Director for Ramsey County (Saint Paul), Minnesota, and also retired from the State of Florida having served as the state's Child Welfare Administrator and as the District Administrator for the Department of Children and Families in West Palm Beach. David and Charlene have five children. The number of their grandchildren varies depending on who you count. Not wanting to leave anyone out, I will not give a number. He has been a lifelong church member and has served as an elder in churches in Florida and Minnesota. Since his retirement, he has written five books, including this one. He is passionate about focusing the church on healing the racial divide in this country.