Michael D'Orso | Author

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Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town called Rosewood
(Putnam, 1996)
An American Library Association Notable Book of the Year, a New York Times bestseller, selection as one of the New York Public Library's "25 Best Books of the Year," and winner of the Lillian Smith Book Award for writing on social justice; the motion picture "Rosewood" was based on this story;

From Library Journal: The 1923 destruction of the town of Rosewood, Florida, is a shocking episode in the history of American race relations. In a week of terror that followed the alleged rape of a white woman, at least six residents of the mostly black town were murdered. The terrified survivors were chased into the swamps, and their houses, churches, and stores burned. For over 60 years, the former citizens of Rosewood lived quietly with their grief and fear. Finally, through the determined efforts of Rosewood descendants, persistent journalists, and talented lawyers, the long-buried story was brought to light, and the survivors and their families were compensated with a $2 million payment of restitution from the state of Florida. Journalist D'Orso's considerable storytelling talents provide a gripping account of Rosewood and the shameful history of lynching in the South. Extensive interviews illustrate both the tragic aftermath for the victims of Rosewood and the sense of release that they felt when their sufferings were finally honored.


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