The Immortal Jim Crow

The Immortal Jim Crow tears the mask off what it's like to grow up as an African American in Florida. Author Richard A. Ryles, Esq. makes the case that despite legislative Civil Rights accomplishments, the Jim Crow culture of racial discrimination and segregation enforced by laws, customs, and practices that first occurred during Reconstruction, never really went away. Storytelling is in his blood. As the great-grandson of the founder of Florida's first African American-owned newspaper, he carries a deep editorial legacy. This connection to the written word was further cemented through a genealogical journey that revealed he is related to Howard French, the acclaimed author of Born in Blackness. Ryles concludes this book with recommendations for finally healing our historic divisions.

"...a raw depiction of American injustice and inequity that challenges readers to take a closer look at the real state of equality and progress throughout history." -Publishers Weekly

"The author combines his fascinating and deeply personal history of the Black experience in Palm Beach with a broader commentary on how slavery and the legacy of Jim Crow continue to reverberate into the present." -Kirkus