Jewel of the South

About the Book

In the 1950s and 1960s, the war against racism and inequality raged in America with fire, pain, and death. Rev. Dr. L.E. Bennett furthered his activity past the voting booth in civil rights, spurred by the in-person speech from John F. Kennedy (J.F.K.) in front of the Alamo on September 12, 1960, in San Antonio, Texas. Through many trials, he fought systematic bigotry and successfully integrated the business behemoth of Southwestern Bell/ AT&T—putting his life and his family at risk. These actions earned him a Political Education Award from Roy Wilkins, president of the NAACP, and a certificate from the Wall of Tolerance signed by Ms. Rosa Parks. All people—no longer just people of color—seek enlightenment and inspiration in books, movies, and documentaries about advocates for social justice and periods when the first civil rights movement scored profound victories for African Americans. Follow this man's remarkable journey of change.

About the Author

Sharon Bennett, a native San Antonian, is the author of two women’s novellas, a self-help book, and the new civil rights biography, Jewel of the South. Growing up in the 1960s as a person of color proved to be emotional and, at times, turbulent as the daughter of Rev. Dr. L.E. Bennett. Because he took the selfless step forward to integrate the significant telecommunications corporation in Texas. Pressures that a civil rights activist endures also affect his family. Sharon developed a deep desire to research her family history in the 1990s. Her father, the late Rev. Dr. L.E. Bennett, had long studied the family’s history. Sharon gained a new appreciation for her father’s sacrifice to change the world during his genetic swab. She worked on his story and did interviews for the past 15 years. As the daughter of L.E. Bennett, she explored family archives and some company records to piece more together of this man's remarkable journey from janitor and civil rights pioneer to second-level management.