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World in Flames: A Black Boyhood in a White Supremacist Doomsday Cult
World in Flames: A Black Boyhood in a White Supremacist Doomsday Cult | Jerald Walker
A memoir of growing up with blind, African-American parents in a segregated cult preaching the imminent end of the world When "The World in Flames" begins, in 1970, Jerald Walker is six years old. His consciousness revolves around being (…more)
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parasolofdoom
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Mehso-so
quote
Bertha_Mason

"Behind me I hear people say hello to our parents extra loudly, which I know frustrates our father to no end. Once, when he and I were at Rexall Drugstore and the clerk shouted the cost of our Almond Joys, Band-Aids, and Listerine, my father cracked, "Maybe you should repeat that, because I *still* can't see.""

quote
Bertha_Mason

"[My brother] Bubba and I played with Paul that whole afternoon and later made an assessment of his character. He's nice, we said. We said he's fun. We said it's a shame he wasn't chosen. In two years, we said, he'll be dead, just like our baby brother."
My heart. ??

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RebeccaH
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Pickpick

A fascinating look at religion, race, and growing-up in 1970s Chicago.

teresareads Sounds fascinating! 9y
26 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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RebeccaH
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Up next.

LeahBergen Wow! Sounds amazing. 9y
RebeccaH So far it's super interesting! @LeahBergen 9y
DreesReads I recently read/reviewed this one! The author had such an unusual childhood--the cult was only part of it! 9y
RebeccaH Interesting @AudreyMorris! 9y
29 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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DreesReads
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Pickpick

What a strange childhood Walker had. Both parents were blind. And as members of a doomsday church, he spells out the kids' confusion--why go to school if the world ends in 6 months? Why don't I get to grow up? What can I do to save my friends from hell? The white supremacist vision of the church/cult is barely mentioned. He grew up poor, as so much of their money went to the church to fund "spreading the word"--supporting the leaders' lifestyle.

megt Looking forward to checking this one out. Walker was a professor at my alma mater while I was doing my undergrad. I never had any classes with him, but I had friends who did and really enjoyed them. 9y
DreesReads I do wish there was more about how the transition to normal from doomsdayer went. He's successful now (professor, writer, husband, father)--but it seems like such a hard transition! 9y
20 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Matilda
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Pickpick

Fascinating, heartbreaking, and eye-opening as Walker recounts growing up with blind parents who were cult members (doomsday cult practiced segregation) not with anger/regret but rather places you there with him while explaining how these major events in his childhood occurred. (Sept 6)

Matilda Just saw there's a Goodreads giveaway for an ARC. 📚 9y
Libshitz Ohhh this sounds good 9y
maximoffs Anything with cults quickly becomes a must read 😂😂😂 9y
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Matilda @stormborn yes!..although in this case I spent more time thinking about his growing up in the 70s with blind parents. 9y
PrezBookster Sounds interesting! 9y
Libshitz @stormborn yes! My friend and I were in a cult bookclub... Only two members...nothing but cult books lol 9y
maximoffs @Libshitz UH. CAN I JOIN THIS CLUB? THREE MEMBERS? 9y
Libshitz @stormborn lol we ran out of books 9y
maximoffs @Libshitz that reading list though 9y
39 likes24 stack adds9 comments
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Matilda
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While goat-dog and iguana have a stare down I'm starting a memoir releasing in Sept. about growing up black in a doomsday white supremacist cult.

23 likes4 stack adds