BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Aran Shetterly on The Greensboro Massacre, MORNINGSIDE & Jonathan Eig, KING, A LIFE

In this episode, we welcome Aran Shetterly to discuss his powerful new book, Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul. Shetterly unearths the long-overlooked history of the Greensboro Massacre, a brutal attack in which members of the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis murdered five labor and civil rights activists in broad daylight—while law enforcement stood by.

“The most vicious repression in America happens when Black and white workers unite. Greensboro was no exception.” — Aran Shetterly

Then we replay part of our 2023 interview with Jonathan Eig about his biography of the Reverend Dr. MLK, Jr., King: A Life.

Read the Transcript

Black History Month on Writer’s Voice 

Every week this month, we’ll be featuring books about key times in America’s Black History, a history that enriches and enlightens us all. We talk with:

Aaron Robertson, about BLACK UTOPIANS; Aran Shetterly about MORNINGSIDE: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre; Victoria Christopher Murray about HARLEM RHAPSODY; Bernadette Atuahene about PLUNDERED
You might also like: 

• The Power of Asking Questions: Ethel Payne, First Lady Of The Black Press
• Freedom Summer, Bob Moses, and the Fight for First Class Citizenship

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Key Words: Aran Shetterly, Morningside book, Greensboro Massacre, Nelson Johnson, Ku Klux Klan, Communist Workers Party, Martin Luther King, Jr., Jonathan Eig, King: A Life

Segment One: Aran Shetterly

Aran Shetterly takes us deep into the history behind the massacre, from the labor struggles of the 1970s to the FBI’s infiltration of both the Klan and the Communist Workers Party. He also explores the life and evolution of Nelson Johnson, a central figure in the movement, who transformed from a radical organizer into a leader of faith-based activism and racial reconciliation.

This conversation exposes the deep roots of white supremacy, the role of law enforcement in racial violence, and the hard-won fight for justice in Greensboro—a struggle that continues to resonate in today’s America.

Key Topics Covered:

• What Happened on November 3, 1979? – A detailed account of the Greensboro Massacre and its aftermath.
• Nelson Johnson’s Journey – From radical activism to the founding of the Beloved Community Center and faith-based reconciliation.
• The Communist Workers Party and Class Struggle – How the victims of the massacre sought to bridge racial and economic divides.
• The Ku Klux Klan’s Resurgence – Why the 1970s saw a new rise in Klan activity and its links to today’s far-right movements.
• The FBI’s Role – How law enforcement infiltrated both the Klan and the Communist Workers Party, yet failed to prevent the massacre.
• White Supremacy and Divide-and-Conquer Tactics – The long history of using race to divide workers and suppress progressive movements.
• Greensboro’s Truth and Reconciliation Process – How Greensboro became the first U.S. city to conduct a Truth and Reconciliation Commission based on the South African model.

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