Diary of a Sit-In

by Merrill Proudfoot

In early 1960 Merrill Proudfoot was a white Presbyterian clergyman on the faculty of the predominantly black Knoxville College. He agreed to join the students in staging sit-in protests if they first tried to negotiate the integration of downtown Knoxville's lunch counters and those negotiations failed. After the negotiations collapsed, Proudfoot fulfilled his part of the bargain, at first reluctantly but later with enthusiasm, and emerged as a prominent figure in the movement. The second edition of this work includes an extensive introduction by Michael Mayer that places Diary of a Sit-In in proper perspective in the movement for use of nonviolent direct action, a chronology of events, a new after word by the author, and illustrations.
 

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Nell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting book because the white clergyman/professor who wrote it is both a good observer and a subjective participant who has plenty of racist and patronizing tendencies. Gave me a better idea of the dynamics at play in the sit-in movement (in one city, from one perspective) and struck me as basically an earnest, accountable and grounded attempt at telling that important story of civil rights struggle by paying more attention to material reality and power politics than to bullshit ideals of integration and colorblind society.

[Chris Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top 10 Non-Fiction books I've read. Proudfoot, could have been a sociologist with the thick insight and prose he entails in the book. It isn't simply a "diary" it's an analyzation of a shameful era of America. Not only do you get the "black perspective" of the sit-ins via his fellow war-mates in the diner with black skin, you get the perspective of the very owners, whites, of these restaurants, and hypocritical "Christian-Loving" fellow white preachers who feel blacks are "Beneath them" and dont "Deserve" equal rights. Religion, it's so nice isn't it? I liked that Merril admits his past racial tendencies of watered down hate, via him being sickened to eat food prepared by blacks in his youth. At least he's being honest and trying to change as a man. Hell, to be white, and to sit-in with blacks! Thats bravery in itself but it's a shame more whites didn't stick up for AMERICAN morales and rights already guaranteed blacks to attend any function in American borders via the 14th Amendment granting blacks "Citizenship". These whites were breaking the very Constitution and got away with it. For awhile. Any who, great book, read it, you'll feel like you're right there in the battle and will learn a thing or two or one hundred.