In Darkest South Carolina: J. Waties Waring and the Secret Plan That Sparked a Civil Rights Movement Hardcover – January 1, 2018

I knew little about the background of "Brown vs. Bd. of Ed" Supreme Court case of 1954 before reading this book. Brian Hicks has brought the impact of Judge Waties Waring and what he did for the integration of public schools in the south, particularly South Carolina, to life. Hicks's writing and "story telling" made me binge read this book!

Brian Hicks has written a helluva book about a white judge, Waties Waring, in Charleston, SC, who becomes the most important -- and most reviled -- Southern judge of the 1940s and 1950s by confronting white supremacy. Waring, who grows up in aristocratic Charleston and whose nephew is one of the most racist newspaper editors in the South, drags South Carolina dragging and kicking out of the 19th century and into the 20th century by ending whites-only Democratic political primaries in the state and then by advising Thurgood Marshall on Brown v. Board of Education, which ended school segregation and ignited what would become the Civil Rights Movement. In response to his civil rights decisions, Waring was ostracized by whites in Charleston and had his house vandalized. He finally left Charleston for his safety. Hicks captures Waring's transformation from indifference on race relations to becoming a civil rights crusader. This is a story of one man's courage and principles and how he changed American society for the better.

I couldn’t put this book down. It was an informative look at the life of a relatively obscure federal judge with deep southern roots who had a profound impact on the civil rights movement. The book gave a balanced view of his work on the bench as well as his personal life.

An amazing story of a man and events that shaped the Brown vs. Board of Education landmark ruling. So many people worked behind the scenes, under the radar of many white Charlestonians. Highly recommend.

Excellent book, deals honestly with a difficult subject. Should be required reading for anyone interested in the Civil Rights movement.

Good service as always but paid more than my church bookstore. Should have checked there first. Story so well written and important to read and remember.

Writer and columnist Brian Hicks, is used to writing about the good, the bad and the ugly in his adopted hometown from the Charleston Post and Courier. The award-winning writer has also penned ten books. His latest is In Darkest South Carolina: J. Waties Waring and the secret plan that sparked a civil rights movement. This wonderful masterwork details a very dark and very ugly period in Charleston and South Carolina history. Yet the book is very readible and I couldn't put it down. I also didn't want it to end, even though it was often very painful reading.Julius Waties Waring came from a long, aristocratic lineage dating back to the 1600s in Charleston, SC. The son of a Civil War soldier, his family lost everything in the war. A bright boy and the yougest of four children, Waring graduated from the College of Charleston. His parents couldn't afford law school, so Waring split his time between a family friend's law library and spending time in the courtroom. After a year and a half, Waring felt he was ready for the bar exam, which he passed on the first try. Waring joined all the usual Charleston clubs and societies that someone from his station would belong. He also took part in Democratic circles. He married a local girl with Charleston ties and it seemed that his life was following a set routine—that is until two things happened. First, in 1941, he was appointed a federal judge. And second, in 1945, he divorced his first wife of 31 years and married an outspoken Yankee woman.As a judge, Waring would quickly face court cases where he had to pass judgement on the inhumane ways in which African Americans were treated. He saw the difficulty in staying within the law “'but declaring two classes of citizens, and that Negroes or people of partial Negro descent were not treated as ordinary American human beings, but were put in a separate clssification—whether on pay or jobs or association or anything else.'” “It was the question that would define Waring's career, and entire life.” Soon he was ruling for equal pay for black and white teachers and to allow blacks to vote in the South Carolina Democratic primaries. These rulings went against long-standing beliefs of white South Carolinians (who were mostly segregationsts), and made he and his wife social outcasts. It also made them targets, although the police and the FBI were reluctant to get involved. Sadly, at the end of Waring's career 1951, he and his wife felt forced to leave Charleston and the South, moving to New York City. They only returned to Charleston one time, to receive an NAACP award in 1954. Judge Waring and his wife both died in 1968.I found In Darkest South Carolina both haunting and fascinating. The history of this time is definitely heart-breaking, which makes Waring's rulings particularly courageous. He befriended some of the biggest civil rights leaders of the time including NAACP lawyers Walter White and Thurgood Marshall, as well as activist Septima Clark. In some ways, he even guided these cases through the legal process. But it is haunting to know that although things have definitely changed over the decades, some of this rancor and racism still prevails. And while Judge Waring has seen his reputation redeemed in his native city, most locals don't have any clue about this man and his achievements. Hopefully, Brian Hicks' noble effort will correct this oversight.

This book is about Judge J. Waites Waring's moral awakening and his pivotal role in the Civil Rights crusade. I was "educated" in SC public schools during the mid 70's. Briggs vs Elliot - the precursor to Brown vs The Board of Education - happened in the adjoining county and was never mentioned in my classes. I learned about Briggs vs Elliot when I wanted to be more informed about African American history - specifically in South Carolina. To this day the rallying cry among some whites in Clarendon County is that Reverand DeLaine never wanted school desegragation - he wanted separate but equal education. Judge Waring's role in this case was to instill in people that separate meant unequal. In Judge Waring's words; "segregation is per se inequality". An easy to follow timeline - I gained new insight into the Reconstruction era, Jim Crow and Dixiecrats. A compelling read. It belongs on every High School and/or College required reading list.