author
Benjamin Muse
1898–1986
Best known for his clear-eyed writing against segregation in Virginia, he brought the perspective of a journalist, public servant, and reform-minded Southerner to his books. His life moved through politics, diplomacy, and newspaper work, giving his nonfiction both firsthand experience and moral urgency.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Durham, North Carolina, in 1898, Benjamin Muse studied at Trinity College, now Duke University, and at George Washington University. Early in life he volunteered for service in World War I under the British flag, and he later spent years in the U.S. diplomatic service before returning to Virginia.
Muse wore many hats over the course of his career: lawyer, farmer, newspaper publisher, state senator, columnist, and author. He was elected to the Virginia Senate in the 1930s, and in later decades became especially known as a journalist and public voice who challenged Virginia's program of "Massive Resistance" to school desegregation.
For readers today, Muse stands out as a writer who brought political experience and personal conviction together on the page. His work is closely tied to the history of civil rights, Southern politics, and public debate in the mid-20th-century United States.