Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King Summary
Overview of Devil in the Grove
Pulitzer Prize-winning chronicle of Thurgood Marshall's dangerous fight for justice in Jim Crow Florida. Thomas Friedman called it "a must-read, cannot-put-down history." Uncovers FBI files even defense counsel Jack Greenberg never knew existed. How far would you go for justice?
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When Justice Wore a Target on Its Back
Picture a train cutting through the American South in 1949, its segregated cars carrying a Black attorney toward almost certain danger. Thurgood Marshall pressed his face against the Jim Crow coach window, watching legal protections evaporate with each passing mile. By the time he reached Lake County, Florida, his Harvard law degree meant nothing against the machinery of white supremacy. What awaited him there would become his most perilous case-one so dangerous that even J. Edgar Hoover assigned FBI protection, one that would claim six lives before it ended. The case began when seventeen-year-old Norma Lee Padgett accused four young Black men of rape, igniting a firestorm that brought National Guard troops to Florida's citrus country. Marshall's mission was clear but terrifying: defend the Groveland Boys in a place where the Ku Klux Klan and local law enforcement were often the same people. This wasn't just another case. It was a test of whether justice could survive in a system designed to destroy it. Marshall had survived too many close calls to feel safe anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. In 1946, after winning a case in Tennessee, local police stopped his car on a dark road and arrested him on false drunk driving charges. They drove him toward Duck River-a dumping ground for lynched bodies. Only his colleague's quick thinking, defying police orders to follow them, prevented Marshall's murder that night. These weren't abstract threats. Outside NAACP headquarters in New York, a black flag flew whenever a lynching occurred, bearing white letters: "A Man Was Lynched Yesterday." Marshall carried mental photographs of victims like Rubin Stacy, whose corpse was surrounded by smiling white children dressed for Sunday-a grotesque family outing that epitomized Southern brutality's casual nature.
The Night Groveland Burned
Theater of Injustice
When the Sheriff Became Executioner
The Price of Speaking Truth
A Mother's Plea and Marshall's Promise
What We Owe the Brave
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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