Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul

In his second full-length book, Shetterly (The Americano) presents a deeply researched and highly detailed account of the November 3, 1979 mass shooting in Greensboro, NC, that left five people dead. Those murdered had planned later that day to participate in an anti–Ku Klux Klan march, but before the march started, three dozen Klan members and neo-Nazis arrived in a caravan and opened fire on the unarmed protestors, spraying 53 bullets over 88 seconds. Shetterly’s narrative covers three distinct phases of this tragic episode: the first leads up to and includes the event, the second encompasses the immediate aftermath of the shooting and three different trials, all of which resulted in no jail time for the perpetrators. The third takes a longer view, including the Greensboro Truth and Reconciliation Commission founded in 2004. Shetterly most closely follows the arc of Nelson and Joyce Johnson, providing thorough accounts of their community organizing, their marriage, and Nelson’s religious awakening, which makes him determined to reach out and communicate with those who killed his friends.