Most people are familiar with the story of four Black students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (A&T) who staged a sit-in-protest at a segregated lunch counter at the F. W. Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960, marking a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. However, the racially based tragedy that occurred 19 years later in Greensboro has largely been forgotten from history. Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul exposes this overlooked act of racial and political violence in America’s past. Aran Shetterly gives a detailed account of the tensions arising between a local chapter of the Communist Worker’s Party (CWP) protesting work conditions, the KKK and Neo-Nazis, which ended in the tragic lose of life. Aran Shetterly provides an unforgettable portrait of the grass-roots activist’s struggle for justice. The author doesn’t shy away from exploring the failures of law enforcement, legal representation, nor the FBI’s political agenda. Shetterly also deftly speaks of the contributing role Greensboro’s reputation and history with political activism had on the events that occurred on and around November 3, 1979. Morningside is a story about America’s past, present, and an exhortation for the future.

I saved this review to share during #nonfictionnovember in the hopes of encouraging my fellow nonfiction readers to learn about the Morningside Massacre. I highly recommend this book to any reader interested in learning about our nation’s history and struggle with racial inequality, political protest and the need to confront our dark past in order to heal from these injustices.

Many thanks to the author @AranShetterly, @Amistadbooks, and @NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Morningside by Aran Shetterly may not be lengthy, but it is packed with insight and depth, which could feel overwhelming to some readers. I’m not surprised to see reviewers from North Carolina mentioning that they had no prior knowledge of the events detailed here—this only underscores the very issues Shetterly explores. His focus on the indifference from the perpetrators and the Greensboro community, alongside the ongoing legacy of injustice through misinformation and stripped history, reveals how deeply these wounds are embedded. The fact that the families of the five victims are still fighting for acknowledgment only highlights the persistence of these injustices.

The audiobook added another layer to this experience, allowing Shetterly's passion for the topic to come through. His commitment to shining a light on the complexities of this tragedy and its far-reaching impact is evident in every word. This book urges readers to confront history, accept responsibility, and grow from it as a path forward—a profound message on how Greensboro could embrace its past to become a better place.

Shetty’s storytelling style is both meticulous and engaging. He goes beyond recounting the events of that tragic day, delving into the conditions that led to it and the lasting repercussions. Through his thorough research and nuanced perspective, he delivers a powerful and necessary examination of racial and political injustice that still resonates today. One of the aspects I found most compelling was the exploration of the Communist Workers Party (CWP), whose resilience and impact remain poignant reminders of the fight for justice.

This is a deeply educational and impactful read, one that Shetterly has crafted to hold readers’ attention and challenge them to reflect on history and its echoes in today’s world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amistad for providing me with a digital ARC of this book.

Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul is a deeply salient account of the Greensboro Massacre, where a protest led by a local chapter of the Communist Workers’ Party (CWP) against the Klan culminated in an armed ambush by the KKK and neo-Nazis and ended with the deaths of five people on November 3, 1979.

As a Greensboro native who rarely ever heard of the 1979 Massacre growing up, I found this book to be devastatingly eye-opening and extremely detailed in its account of the event. Shetterly paints a colorful picture of a critical and overlooked point of American history through the lens of the Greensboro Massacre, when tensions between ideologies were on the verge of boiling over—post-McCarthy communist organizing, the blossoming white power militia movement in the wake of the Vietnam War, and the storied fight of multiracial coalitions in the South to create a better future in America. He also delves into the deep, conflicted history of the city of Greensboro, a city precariously balancing on a knife’s edge.

The violence committed on November 3, 1979 is unfortunately all too familiar to us now in an era where gun violence has become a startlingly regular occurrence. It has been almost a decade since a white supremacist killed nine people at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. It has been seven years since the 2017 Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a neo-Nazi drove his car into a crowd of counter protestors and killed Heather Heyer. Within the last several years, we have seen an increasingly violent response from police and right-wing agitators towards peaceful protests all across the United States. This is a story about America’s past and present—and a plea for our future.

While the individuals whose lives were abruptly cut short that morning never received justice, their deaths did not snuff out their work. Their families, friends and loved ones continued their fight for justice and push for equality, only deepened by that loss. Despite efforts to paper over the event with corporate amiability and deliberate obfuscation by the Greensboro Police Department, the FBI, and other prominent Greensboro institutions, their loss and their memories continue to persist.

A searing look at an overlooked act of racial and political violence, Aran Shetterly’s Morningside unravels the tensions between the multiracial fight for justice and the nation’s dark underbelly of white supremacy which still continue today. It is a call to reckon with the devastation of America’s racial past in order to move forward with clear eyes towards a brighter future.

"Morningside" is a gripping and powerful account of the Greensboro Massacre, exposing the raw realities of racial injustice and the tireless fight for justice. The book masterfully intertwines personal stories with historical context, highlighting the resilience of activists like Nelson Johnson. This compelling narrative delves into the complex issues of race, class, and identity, reminding us that confronting our history is essential for healing and progress. A must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the ongoing struggle for racial equality in America.

The 1979 racially based tragedy in Greensboro, North Carolina, has largely been forgotten, but its impact is still felt today. The author focuses on the grass-roots activists who fought tirelessly for justice and never gave up on America’s promise of equality. It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about this dark chapter in our nation’s history and the continuous fight for justice.