PUTNAM COUNTY
One of the most important tools for easing the chaotic challenge of school integration in the U.S. was athletics. Since a winning athletic team was typically a source of community pride, integrated athletic teams helped pave the way for an understanding of racial differences and a respect for diversity.
Veteran sports reporter Tony Barnhart tells that poignant story as an eyewitness through his new book, The 19 of Greene: Football, Friendship, and Change in the Fall of 1970 at Georgia Writers Museum’s “Meet the Author” event Dec. 5, starting at 7 p.m. with doors open at 6:30 p.m.
GWM recently conducted a brief interview with Barnhart about his work and the challenges of addressing turbulent times.
Q: All your literary work is centered around sports. What makes this topic so appealing to you as a writer?
A: Good sports stories are not sports stories at all. They have drama, conflict, success, failure, forgiveness, and redemption. The 19 of Greene has all of those.
Q: What is your favorite sports movie and why?
A: “Field of Dreams,” because it’s really not a sports story. It’s about a father and son playing catch and the bond they shared, thanks to baseball. I am 70 years old and I still can’t watch the end of that movie without getting emotional.
Q: Tell us a bit about your writing process.
A: When I am working on a book, I always get up early and start writing when the house is quiet. I try to go into each writing session with goals I want to meet. I don’t always reach those goals, but my newspaper background makes it easier to meet deadlines.
Q: The 19 of Greene is a bit of documentary, a bit of journalist reporting, and a lot of autobiographical. What were your biggest concerns about writing this book?
A: I was concerned that my teammates would not want to cooperate and bare their souls with someone they had not seen in 50 years. Instead, they were excited for the chance to tell our story and relive an important time in our lives. The guys jumped at the chance.
Q: What do you most hope for readers to take away from your book?
A: Race is an important part of this book. It had to be. The team was created in an effort to bring about equal opportunities for people of color. I never had a Black friend until I met Charles Turner, our quarterback in the spring of 1970. On Nov. 1, we did a book signing together and today I consider him to be one of my best friends.
Doing this book taught me a lot of lessons. We have come a long way on the subject of race. But we still have a long way to go.
Tickets for Tony Barnhart’s presentation on The 19 of Greene are $45 per person ($40 each for two or more), or a table for six can be reserved for $200 (a savings of $40).
Visit Georgia Writers Museum (109 S. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton) online at georgiawritersmuseum. org or call 706-991-5119 for reservations and to pre-order Tony’s book, which he will sign at the event.