If there’s one book you need to pick up now, it’s “The Child in the Electric Chair”. It tells the true story of George Junius Stinney, Jr., a 14 year old black boy who was convicted – and sent to the electric chair – for the murder of two young white girls in a 1944 South Carolina town. The story exposes the preposterous legal system in the Jim Crow south, race relations then, and leads the reader to question the real meaning of equal justice under the law.
The book, which took nearly a dozen years to research and write, was the undertaking of the very thoughtful Historian, Eli Faber. When he realized he wouldn’t be able to complete it due to advanced pancreatic cancer, he asked his dear friend and colleague, fellow Historian Carol Berkin, to complete the book and see it through publication. And that she did. Sadly, Eli Faber passed away before seeing the work go to print.
On this episode, Carol Berkin, Presidential Professor of History, Emerita, of Baruch College & The Graduate Center, CUNY, discusses the book and all of its complexities. As our guest on episode 124, we start the conversation by having her revisit her one way ticket destination to the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention.
Carol Berkin is just one of the engaging individuals featured on The One Way Ticket Show, where Host Steven Shalowitz explores with his guests where they would go if given a one way ticket, no coming back. Their destinations may be in the past, present, future, real, imaginary or a state of mind.
Steven's guests have included: Nobel Peace Prize Winner, President Jose Ramos-Horta; Legendary Talk Show Host, Dick Cavett; Law Professor, Alan Dershowitz; Fashion Expert, Tim Gunn; Broadcast Legend, Charles Osgood; International Rescue Committee President & CEO, David Miliband; Former Senator, Joe Lieberman; Playwright, David Henry Hwang; Journalist-Humorist-Actor, Mo Rocca; SkyBridge Capital Founder & Co-Managing Partner, Anthony Scaramucci; Abercrombie & Kent Founder, Geoffrey Kent; Travel Expert, Pauline Frommer, as well as leading photographers, artists, chefs, writers, intellectuals and more.