Give the Gift of Southern History this Holiday Season: West Georgia Novelist Explores the History of Racial Tensions in Forsyth County in ‘Soul Purpose’
ATLANTA, Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ — Soul Purpose, a historical fiction novel written by Dr. Kele Sewell, tells the story of the fiery racial discrimination of the 20th century in Forsyth County. The author weaves two stories throughout the book: life in Forsyth County during 1912, when all black residents were burned out of the city following the death of a white girl; and from 1965 to present day, showing a county that did not have a single black resident until years after civil rights leaders marched through, protesting the hatred that dominated for so long.
The narrative set in the early part of the century gives life to the story told in history books of Mae Crowe, a young white girl who was raped and murdered. Her father, the local district attorney, sentenced two black men to a public hanging for the crime. Race riots broke out, and eventually all black residents were forced to leave the county to sell their homes for a fraction of their value or they were burned down by the Klan.
The modern-day part of Soul Purpose focuses on the transformation of Kelly, a young white boy raised in Forsyth County whose adult influences were his father, who was an alcoholic and racist; his grandfather, a preacher who taught hate at home and from the pulpit; and his mother, who taught the importance of viewing individuals as equals–no matter the color of their skin. Kelly’s life could have gone toward ignorance and hatred or toward understanding. Thanks to his mother’s influence, he befriended a black psychiatrist and his son. Over time and through this friendship, Kelly is able to break the cycle of racism that plagued his family’s history.
“I was raised in Forsyth County and my experience was very similar to that of Kelly, the lead character of the present day storyline,” said Sewell. “I was racist because I didn’t know any better. Racism was all around me, at church and at home. In my adult life I’ve learned how wrong I was. I struggled for years with the blind discrimination of my youth and came to the conclusion that I had to write this story to bring to light the pain that ignorance has and can cause.”
Sewell’s ground-breaking novel artfully blends fact and fiction to give the reader a greater understanding of racism spanning the last century. Its message is a significant, social commentary about the necessity of healing deep racial wounds, both real and imagined, to bring about change.
In honor of Hosea Williams’ efforts to integrate Forsyth County in the 1980′s, Sewell will donate a percentage of proceeds from Soul Purpose to the non-profit Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry organization.
About the Author:
Dr. Kele Sewell is a writer and physician who lives in Bremen, Ga. Dr. Sewell is the author of THE FIRST OF JULY and A HEARTBEAT AWAY His third novel titled ROBIN HOOD M.D.(Co-authored with DOC HOLLYWOOD author Neil Shulman) will be available soon. In addition, he has published short stories, articles for several medical journals and is the author of three screenplays currently being marketed to studios. Dr. Sewell is the author of THE UNDERBED ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK, a children’s picture book as well.
SOURCE Dr. Kele Sewell