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Behind the Magic Curtain: Secrets, Spies, and Unsung White Allies of Birmingham's Civil Rights Days
Behind the Magic Curtain: Secrets, Spies, and Unsung White Allies of Birmingham's Civil Rights Days is a remarkable look at a historic city enmeshed in racial tensions, revealing untold or forgotten stories of secret deals, law enforcement intrigue, and courage alongside pivotal events that would sweep change across the nation.
Birmingham, Alabama gave birth to momentous events that spawned the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and affected world history. But that is not why it is known as The Magic City. It earned that nickname with its meteoric rise from a cornfield valley to an industrial boomtown in the late 1800s. Images of snarling dogs and fire hoses of the 1960s define popular perception of the city, obscuring the complexity of race relations in a tumultuous time and the contributions of white citizens who quietly or boldly influenced social change. Behind the Magic Curtain peels back history's veil to reveal little-known or never-told stories of an intriguing cast of characters that include not only progressive members of the Jewish, Christian, and educational communities, but also a racist businessman and a Ku Klux Klan member, who, in an ironic twist, helped bring about justice and forward racial equality and civil rights. Woven throughout the book are the firsthand recollections of a reporter with the state's major newspaper of the time. Embedded with law enforcement, he reveals the fascinating details of their secret wiretapping and intelligence operations. With a deft hand, Thorne offers the insight that can be gained from understanding little-known but important perspectives, painting a multihued portrait of a city that has figured so prominently in history, but which so few really know.
Birmingham, Alabama gave birth to momentous events that spawned the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and affected world history. But that is not why it is known as The Magic City. It earned that nickname with its meteoric rise from a cornfield valley to an industrial boomtown in the late 1800s. Images of snarling dogs and fire hoses of the 1960s define popular perception of the city, obscuring the complexity of race relations in a tumultuous time and the contributions of white citizens who quietly or boldly influenced social change. Behind the Magic Curtain peels back history's veil to reveal little-known or never-told stories of an intriguing cast of characters that include not only progressive members of the Jewish, Christian, and educational communities, but also a racist businessman and a Ku Klux Klan member, who, in an ironic twist, helped bring about justice and forward racial equality and civil rights. Woven throughout the book are the firsthand recollections of a reporter with the state's major newspaper of the time. Embedded with law enforcement, he reveals the fascinating details of their secret wiretapping and intelligence operations. With a deft hand, Thorne offers the insight that can be gained from understanding little-known but important perspectives, painting a multihued portrait of a city that has figured so prominently in history, but which so few really know.
368 pages, Hardcover
Published June 29, 2021
7 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
T.K. Thorne
10 books71 followersT.K. Thorne’s childhood passion for storytelling deepened when she became a police officer in Birmingham, Alabama. “It was a crash course in life and what motivated and mattered to people.” When she retired as a captain, she took on Birmingham’s business improvement district as the executive director. Both careers provide fodder for her writing, which has garnered several awards, including “Book of the Year for Historical Fiction” (ForeWord Reviews) for her debut novel NOAH'S WIFE. Her first non-fiction book, LAST CHANCE FOR JUSTICE was featured on the New York Post’s “Books You Should Be Reading” list. Her newest nonfiction is BEHIND THE MAGIC CURTAIN: Secrets, Spies, and Unsung White Allies of Birmingham's Civil Rights Days. A dally with murder and magic resulted in the Magic City Stories trilogy (HOUSE OF ROSE, HOUSE OF STONE, and HOUSE OF IRON). She loves traveling, especially to research her novels, and speaking about her books and life lessons. She writes at her mountaintop home, often with a dog or cat vying for her lap and sometimes a horse or two at the front door.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
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April 28, 2024most of the book's recollections are from Granddaddy Lankford <3 need 2 read!!
March 15, 2022
Detroit is the Motor City and Nashville is the Music City, both for obvious reasons. Birmingham, Alabama became the Magic City when it found its place as a mining mecca and industrial boomtown in the late 1800s. The title, Behind the Magic Curtain” refers to the hidden secrets, both positive and negative, that were kept out of the public eye. This book reveals those secrets to us all. From the racial tensions, the KKK, corrupt law enforcement and resistance to desegregation to the obstreperous times of resistance against the establishment and those people, black and white, christian and jew, that aided in that more peaceful fight.
When many people think of Birmingham, AL they think of the riots of the 1960s, firehoses, police brutality, the KKK. While that most certainly did happen, there were also peaceful efforts to guide Birmingham toward a better understanding of racism and more successful race relations. Those efforts often occurred behind the scenes. Many business people, leaders of the faith community, civic leaders and citizens of good moral conscience wanted the city’s people to come together, to co-exist peacefully, and they were willing to do the work to make that happen.
The aim of this book, says Thorne, is to “tell forgotten or never-told pieces of that story, to dip more than one brush into the multifaceted pallet of a city and a time…” With eloquence and understanding plus Thorne's sharp investigative skills, the reader is provided with an insiders look, behind the scenes, at the attempts to remake the culture of the Magic City.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#EmptyNestReader #instagram #facebook #Goodreads #BehindtheMagicCurtain #TLThorne #NewSouthBooks #nonfiction #CivilRights #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #MarchReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks
When many people think of Birmingham, AL they think of the riots of the 1960s, firehoses, police brutality, the KKK. While that most certainly did happen, there were also peaceful efforts to guide Birmingham toward a better understanding of racism and more successful race relations. Those efforts often occurred behind the scenes. Many business people, leaders of the faith community, civic leaders and citizens of good moral conscience wanted the city’s people to come together, to co-exist peacefully, and they were willing to do the work to make that happen.
The aim of this book, says Thorne, is to “tell forgotten or never-told pieces of that story, to dip more than one brush into the multifaceted pallet of a city and a time…” With eloquence and understanding plus Thorne's sharp investigative skills, the reader is provided with an insiders look, behind the scenes, at the attempts to remake the culture of the Magic City.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#EmptyNestReader #instagram #facebook #Goodreads #BehindtheMagicCurtain #TLThorne #NewSouthBooks #nonfiction #CivilRights #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #MarchReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #ebooks
August 20, 2022
A interesting account of a less familiar side of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, AL. Much of the information comes from Tom Langford, who was, in the 1960’s, a young, white newspaper reporter for The Birmingham News. This was an era of limited restrictions on secret recordings and phone tappings. Through these methods as well as personal relationships he discovered information on plans of many groups and politicians. The book delves into the local efforts both to support and to attempt to prevent desegregation by those in the black and in the white communities, and the effect outsiders (New York rabbis, Freedom Riders, MLK and Southern Christian Leadership Conference) had on local efforts.
October 3, 2022
Excellent. Well-written, thoroughly researched and documented. Characters I have heard about all my life.
I also found out that there really was a farm owned bt Black Muslims in St. Clair County in Alabama. When I was about 12 years old or so my sister and I couldn't answer the phone because we were getting horrible, threatening phone calls. My Mother said it was because my Dad, a real estate agent had sold a farm to Black Muslims.
I also found out that there really was a farm owned bt Black Muslims in St. Clair County in Alabama. When I was about 12 years old or so my sister and I couldn't answer the phone because we were getting horrible, threatening phone calls. My Mother said it was because my Dad, a real estate agent had sold a farm to Black Muslims.
July 30, 2021
Very interesting details about the fight for civil rights in Birmingham. There were a number of Whites and Jews who were working behind the scenes trying to move toward basic human rights for Blacks. Their lives and homes and children were always at risk from the Klan who was protected by the police i.e. Bull Conner.
September 6, 2021
An absolutely beautiful, nuanced tale of the civil rights movement in Birmingham. T. K. Thorne is a genius with her retelling. The emotional impact of this book will stick with me for a long time.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews