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But then he discovered
that a Harvard upper-classmate died, and he began to do what
he said he didn't: he thought about Harvard.
Garrett was just 17 the
fall of 1959, when his family drove him to Harvard and
helped him carry his belongings to a room he would share
with another boy, one who happened also to be a "Negro."
There were, as Garrett later learned, 18 "Negroes" in the
class of 1963, scattered among various dorms. Eventually, he
met most of them, and they gathered daily to eat lunch; they
also socialized together because, although Harvard strove to
avoid racism, social segregation off-campus was still
generally mandatory.
As they moved into their
dorms that fall, Americans were just learning that the
Soviet Union was capable of launching missiles from
submarines. A war in a country halfway across the world had
its first two casualties. Mike Wallace had done a TV report
on Black Muslims and Malcolm X, shocking white America.
The freshmen who hoped
they'd survive at Harvard became sophomores, then juniors,
then seniors.
In their college careers,
the "Negroes" saw protests and sit-ins, violence and calls
for peace. They met people who'd influence history, and
others who'd die too early. And by the time they graduated,
eighteen men had learned that they were not "Negroes"
anymore...
It's really hard not to
love The Last Negroes at Harvard right from the
get-go.
Author Kent Garrett tells
his story with a gee-whiz, down-to-earth demeanor that makes
friends with a reader quickly. It's a warm tale that can be
confusing in its overload of names and nicknames, but
Garrett's portrayals of his classmates lets readers know
that these young men were nevertheless unique individuals
with ideals, strengths, and promise.
But this book isn't only
about 18 black men.
It's also a snapshot of a
burgeoning Civil Rights Movement, and a country that's
evolving. We get a peek of life on the edge of change, when
college-age men wore ties to dinner. We watch as protests
arrived in Boston, "the Pill" was whispered-about,
segregation eased in the North, sit-ins became a thing, and
language changed, too.
Know that this is not
merely a book of nostalgia for older folk: it's also for
younger readers heading for college, or for lovers of social
history. Sit down with this book and be delighted. The
Last Negroes at Harvard is one you'll remember.
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