Feeding the Wolf

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Feeding the Wolf: John b. Rayner & The Politics of Race, 1850-1918, by Gregg Cantrell was a fantastic biography of an African American political leader. Rayner was not a normal African American of his time. He was well educated and the son of a powerful political leader and wealthy white slaveholder from North Carolina. Cantrell depicts Rayners life through some of the most critical years that shaped Texas; some events more crucial than others. Rayner’s life occurred during a critical time not just for Texas, but for the South too. African Americans faced slavery, segregation, reconstruction, and military conflicts and political demise. Rayner faced all of these circumstances with dignity and grace. Since an early age he spent his whole life fighting for the right of his “people” and his believes. Even though Rayner played a big part in post reconstruction politics his biggest and most significant contribution was to the prohibition movement in Texas. Rayner always kept a close eye on the prohibition controversy with great interest. Like many prohibitionist, he believed that alcohol caused social damage and individual wreckage. They also believed that in order to create a sober America they needed to create laws that declared manufacturing and selling liquor illegal. Rayner was raised with a strong religious background as a Protestant and later in life was baptized into his new faith. Shortly after being baptized he added being an ordained Baptist preacher to his long list of occupations. Rayner often stated that he fought for prohibition because of his “deep religious principle”, but in his younger years he operated a saloon that sold liquor in Tarboro. It is hard to say if his stance was because of his newfound r... ... middle of paper ... ...14 he was taking out a loan from a wealthy Republican Mr. Masterson on his lots and farm. He could never repay the loans himself, but his wife managed to save their own house and the lot it sat on. Rayner lived to see the beginning of WWI, a war he did not believe in. It was in 1918 shortly after a white Sherriff beat him for not getting his dog tag that his health started declining and died of congestive heart failure. Rayner was an African American politician in Texas before his time. He had an amazing career during the Post-Civil war, Re-construction, and Jim Crow era. He spoke for what he believed, in a well-spoken articulate manner. He was steadfast in his mission to be heard and an amazing speaker that many admired. Rayner had it right by saying that all men are worthy, but men are not equal and fought his political career with hope and perseverance.

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