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A review by book_concierge
Fraternity by Diane Brady
3.0
Not sure this is really a subtitle, but printed on the cover is this statement: In 1968, a visionary priest recruited 20 black men to the College of the Holy Cross and changed their lives and the course of history.
This was a very interesting look at how their experience at Holy Cross influenced these young men. Their time in college coincided with my own years at Marquette University (another Jesuit institution). The historical events depicted were familiar to me and really took me back to those days.
Brady focuses on seven of the recruits: Stanley Grayson, Gilbert Hardy, Eddie Jenkins, Edward P Jones, Arthur Martin, Clarence Thomas and Theodore Wells. All but one of these men went on to law school and had distinguished careers. Clarence Thomas, of course, is now a U.S. Supreme Court justice. The lone non-lawyer is Edward P Jones, who penned the Pulitzer-prize-winning The Known World and is a professor at Georgetown University (yet another Jesuit institution).
But the person who really stands out in this tale is Rev. John Brooks, the priest who recruited the students, fought for funds, mentored them, championed their causes, and kept them engaged and focused on the goal – a sterling education that would give them the boost they needed to succeed.
This was a very interesting look at how their experience at Holy Cross influenced these young men. Their time in college coincided with my own years at Marquette University (another Jesuit institution). The historical events depicted were familiar to me and really took me back to those days.
Brady focuses on seven of the recruits: Stanley Grayson, Gilbert Hardy, Eddie Jenkins, Edward P Jones, Arthur Martin, Clarence Thomas and Theodore Wells. All but one of these men went on to law school and had distinguished careers. Clarence Thomas, of course, is now a U.S. Supreme Court justice. The lone non-lawyer is Edward P Jones, who penned the Pulitzer-prize-winning The Known World and is a professor at Georgetown University (yet another Jesuit institution).
But the person who really stands out in this tale is Rev. John Brooks, the priest who recruited the students, fought for funds, mentored them, championed their causes, and kept them engaged and focused on the goal – a sterling education that would give them the boost they needed to succeed.