Author to discuss history, racial tension

By Tyler Poda

SE Campus will welcome Texas Christian University history professor Max Krochmal to talk about his new book Blue Texas at 1 p.m. April 20 in the North Ballroom.

Krochmal’s teachings cover modern U.S., African-American, Latin-American and labor histories and their present-day ramifications. He has also contributed to the development of TCU’s new comparative race and ethnic studies program.

“It has already won one prize from the TSHA [Texas State Historical Association], and it will likely win another,” said Gregory Kosc, SE history and geography professor and sponsor for this event.

Blue Texas discusses the evolution of the Democratic Party in Texas from the party of white supremacy to the party that stood for safeguarding marginalized peoples’ civil and political rights. Krochmal tells the story of the struggle for democracy in Texas and highlights how African-American, Mexican-American and white labor and community activists came together to empower the state’s minority groups.

“The major thrust of the book is to truly fight back against the structures of segregation,” Kosc said.