The Kneeling Man by Leta McCollough Seletzky

Author:Leta McCollough Seletzky
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Catapult
Published: 2023-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Though Memphis State’s 1968 recruitment handbook, A Viewbook: Memphis State University, wasn’t published until September of that year, the picture of college life it presented was much like what Mac found on his first day of classes in June: spare and angular brick and concrete architecture, and a mostly white and conservative student body. Greek organizations dominated the social scene, between rush week, post-game parties, sing-alongs, and similar activities. The handbook listed twelve national fraternities and thirteen national sororities, two of which—Delta Sigma Theta and Zeta Phi Beta—were historically Black. Below the list was a large color photo of sorority and fraternity members, exclusively white, striking various poses. Several groups displayed bright banners, including one that held a Confederate flag.

Mac attended classes in the mornings beginning around nine, grabbing a Slurpee from 7-Eleven on the way to campus. When he got out at noon, he’d walk over to the student union and scope out the crowd, looking for people dressed like hippies—long hair, scraggly facial hair, or sloppy clothes for men and long or messy hair and long peasant dresses and skirts for women—and Black students. Hippies stood out like beacons, to say nothing of Black folks. He took the same approach as he had when he infiltrated the Invaders, sidling up to them and striking up conversations.

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