TALLADEGA DAYS is an intriguing biography of a complex, nineteenth century man who presented at least three faces to the world: a public face of hard-earned competency and at least two private faces of varying degrees of intimacy and supportiveness to what might be characterized as "family." The story is set against the background of hard times in an agrarian, segregated South, and a countervailing, but quite possibly, equally racist North. Dr. Houston Brummit's recounting of the life and times of Dr. William Brummit is interspersed with personal interpretations of historic events-including his Ku Klux Klan assault and abduction. This one, resurrected life gives those of us who wonder about post-racial America time to reflect on the extraordinary spirit of those Americans of color, like William H. Brummit, who, in spite of their own failings and the threats made to their lives and liberties, insisted upon respect despite the devastating cost.
