About Shattering Paradigmsjus

In antebellum Texas, Samuel Dawson does the unthinkable. He rejects the idea that Black people are subhuman and do not possess the same rights as whites. His defiance is met with hostility from his father and neighboring plantation owners. But Samuel does not succumb to the pressures exerted by others. He remains true to what he knows is right and just, and he continues to challenge the dominant paradigms of the time.

While many of his neighbors struggle to deal with the freedmen, Samuel’s former plantation becomes a mecca for Blacks and whites seeking a better life. He offers opportunities not widely available, and the result is a thriving community in which Blacks and whites live and work together peacefully.

As stories of Samuel’s success spread, some nearby landowners seek his advice. They want a flourishing community too, but they do not know how to achieve it. They recognize that the old paradigm will no longer work, yet they do not have a viable alternative. Through word and deed, Samuel guides them.

Others refuse to accept the emancipation of slaves. They seek to reestablish white supremacy, and they will use any means necessary to achieve their ends. They threaten both the growing prosperity of Blacks and the freedom of everyone.

The abolition of slavery created fresh problems and turmoil in the former Confederate states. Neither the former slaves nor the former slaveholders were prepared for the aftermath of the Civil War. Shattering Paradigms is the story of what could have been and should have been.

All Men are Created Equal (Book 1)

Thirteen-year-old Samuel Dawson abhors slavery. When he is put in temporary control of his father’s plantation, Samuel begins an audacious experiment to treat the slaves like human beings. Click here to read Chapter 1 for FREE.

Dawson Town (Book 2)

Following the end of slavery, Samuel Dawson and his former slaves build a thriving community. But many of his fellow Texans are reticent to recognize the natural rights of Blacks, and they threaten to destroy Dawson Town. Click here to read Chapter 1 for FREE.

Similar Posts

  • We Don’t Need Adjectives for Justice

    It has become increasingly popular to add adjectives to “justice.” This has led to “social justice,” “racial justice,” environmental justice,” and now, “housing justice.” As an example, Casey Dawkins, Professor of Urban Studies and Planning at the University of Maryland, claims that we must develop a new understanding of justice as it applies to housing….

  • Racism and Housing

    Housing advocates frequently claim that racism explains the large gap in home ownership between whites and non-whites. To overcome this racism, they call for government programs to help non-whites purchase homes. It is true that past racism did deter home ownership among non-whites, but that fact must be considered in the full context. The source…

  • Racism, Cartels, and Jim Crow

    This was originally posted on Live Oaks on December 26, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. It is often claimed that capitalism leads to all sorts of ills, such as racism and cartels (or monopolies). As with most attacks on capitalism, these claims attempt to blame capitalism for the consequences of government intervention into the…

  • |

    Abusing Statistics

    Mark Twain popularized the phrase “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The essential meaning of the phrase is that statistics can be misrepresented to support a particular position. A recent report from Housing for All Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an example of abusing statistics. In the Introduction, the authors claim, This report……

  • |

    Color-blindness Kills

    Since the sixteenth century, depictions of Lady Justice have her blindfolded to represent impartiality. Justice should be applied equally without regard to such characteristics as wealth, status, or race. Justice should be wealth-blind, status-blind, and color-blind. A group—Inwood Legal Action—in New York City rejects this concept, arguing that color-blindness kills and justice requires that race…