OAKLAND, CA— T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer, by David T. Beito and Linda Royster Beito (Research Fellows, Independent Institute) has won the prestigious 2019 Benjamin Franklin Gold Book Award for Best Biography. The Award was presented by the Independent Book Publishing Association (IBPA) at a special ceremony at the IBPA conference in Chicago.
Detailing the extraordinary life of surgeon, entrepreneur, and civil rights leader, T.R.M. Howard, the book describes how Howard was a mentor to and inspiration of such well-known activists during the Jim Crow era as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Medgar Evers. Howard was in the spotlight after the murder of Emmett Till, when an all-white jury in Mississippi acquitted the two white men accused of the crime, and his home was the center for witnesses and journalists covering the trial. He founded black community organizations, including a hospital which gave affordable and accessible health-care to the Mississippi Delta’s impoverished black population, organized civil rights rallies and boycotts, championed black enterprise, and fought the Ku Klux Klan.
The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards program, recognizes excellence and innovation in independent publishing. Over 160 librarians, booksellers, and design and editorial experts—most of whom have decades of book industry experience—judged the books submitted to the program.
“This path-breaking book offers hope and inspiration as Americans consider the next steps for securing liberty and justice for all,” said David J. Theroux, Founder and President of the Independent Institute, publisher of the book. “David Beito and Linda Royster Beito have brought the story of T.R.M. Howard to life. Without Howard, we might not have the voices of key civil rights activists throughout history,” he added.
T.R.M. Howard: Doctor, Entrepreneur, Civil Rights Pioneer, tells more than the story of a single man. It also highlights the heroic contributions of black professionals and entrepreneurs pursuing equal justice and economic betterment during a time of social upheaval.
The IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award program, which includes over fifty categories recognizing excellence in book editorial and design, are regarded as one of the highest national honors for indie publishers. Founded in 1983 to support independent publishers nationwide, the IBPA leads and serves the independent publishing community through advocacy, education, and tools for success.
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The Independent Institute is a non-profit, research, and educational organization that promotes the power of independent thinking to boldly advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies grounded in a commitment to human worth and dignity. For more information, visit Independent.org. For media inquiries, contact Communications Manager Rob Ade: [email protected]; (510) 632-1366, ext. 114.
