PROTESTER VOICES-- The 1974 Textbook Tea Party

A first time, first-hand protester account
of the event that launched the fight
for the heart and soul of America.

Why Protester Voices —the 1974 Textbook Tea Party Qualifies as a Banned Book

Updated 12-6-2011

Although a case can be made, don’t look for Protester Voices to be listed during the liberal “Banned Books Week”.

Are there people who want to practice stealth (or certified) censorship* and hope this book quietly fades into oblivion? You be the judge based upon the following facts. For some fun, before each item say, “Protester Voices—The 1974 Textbook Tea Party might not be liked by liberals if…”

1. A Charleston Daily Mail editor gave an ambiguous statement (March 31, 2010) regarding doing an article about Protester Voices, but has not done so. Liberal professor and protester critic Dr. Carol Mason’s 2009 book Reading Appalachia from Left to Right: Conservatives and the 1974 Kanawha County Textbook Controversy was featured in an August 22, 2009 Daily Mail article “Kanawha County Textbook War Protest Pivotal to U.S. Today Events Called Omen of 'Rightward Shift' from '60s Liberal Radicalism.” Alice Moore (Chapter 11 of Protester Voices) aptly described the Daily Mail as pseudo-conservative.

2. A Charleston Gazette editor said she would mention it to her staff to see if anyone was interested in writing an article about Protester Voices. She did not respond when Karl Priest asked her if that was standard procedure. Liberal preacher and protester critic James Lewis's book was featured in a July 7, 1979 Gazette article “Haunting Memories Prod Lewis to Write." (Note: On June 9, 2010 a Gazette reporter told Priest, in person, said that he would do an article when he finished reading Protester Voices. On July 10 he wrote a review about a book on the 2008 financial collapse and on July 24 he wrote a review of a book about Lyndon Johnson. He did not respond to Priest’s emails.)

On July 23, 2011 the Gazette editor (James Haught) favorably reviewed the novel Milton’s Child which he described as “ One of West Virginia's most bizarre episodes -- the notorious 1974 Kanawha County fundamentalist uprising against "godless textbooks" -- has been retold by a sad victim... It's a dismal tale of ugliness and ignorance. ” He rated the book “ Superbly written... Recommended.” (http://wvgazette.com/Opinion/OpEdCommentaries/201107221614?page=1). James Haught, is a nationally known atheist. In fact he is an Internet Celebrity Atheist. For more about this review see The Protesters were NOT Violent (scroll to “Haught”).

3. The host of the West Virginia statewide radio talk show ignored Priest's offer to send him a free copy of Protester Voices. He finally requested a copy in mid-July (2010) after he was offered a chance to do an exclusive interview with the most notorious preacher-protester. To date, the interview has not been scheduled. The radio personality did not answer email from Priest.

4. The West Virginia Library Commissions featured an interview (2008) with a famous local atheist (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_8183/is_20081221/ai_n51446400/) who maligned the protesters in a section of his book (printed by the same local printer as Protester Voices), but ignored Karl Priest’s initial (April 18, 2010) request for an interview and finally responded to a second email on May 18 stating, “Your email was received and was forwarded to our Library Development Department.  I will forward it again and ask someone to contact you.” That was the end of that.

5. The West Virginia Book Festival (sponsored by the Library Foundation of Kanawha County) declined Karl Priest’s request to be a speaker even though they are bringing in an author from Montana who wrote a book about a 1943 Montana coal mine disaster. Although most of their speakers are “big time" authors, it wouldn’t be a stretch to claim that Priest's book fits the criteria for presenters at the Festival: Programs at the festival deal with a wide range of life images and interpretations that are accessible through literature. Although the festival is primarily aimed at readers, there will always be a track of programming for budding writers. Appalachian literature and its function for those of us who live in the region will always be emphasized, but the festival will incorporate authors from other areas of the country, as well. Our festival is built around a series of programs presented by authors and others. Generally speaking, authors who are invited to present programs have published a new book… (http://wvbookfestival.org/prospectiveauthors.html).

The following email was sent by Mr. Trey Kay.  Trey is a liberal with high integrity.  He is the journalist who finally had the professional and academic honesty to contact a teacher about the Textbook War.  He produced the award winning radio documentary “The Great Textbook War" (http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/textbooks/). His contact was used by God to provide the impetus for the writing of Priest's book and reunion (http://www.insectman.us/testimony/reunion.htm). Mr. Kay’s report provides unimpeachable proof that Priest's book is being censored. 

From Trey Kay:

Last week, I was invited to speak at the West Virginia Librarians Conference.  During my talk, there were at least two people who brought up your book.  One story was from a librarian in the Alum Creek area, who told a story about Avis' (Protest preacher Avis Hill) daughter donating a copy of your book to the library. 

There was another guy (don't know his name), who said something about being on the committee of the WV Book Festival and how they had an internal struggle about your application for a vendor’s booth.  They said that the joke that was going around was "isn't it ironic that a book festival is going to give a booth to a book burner?"  This of course prompted me to go off on the mild tirade that you have heard me go on about how I have seen no evidence that any book burning went on and that I think that it is a disservice to respectful debate to continue to propagate these unsubstantiated claims.  I also asked, "Why not include Karl Priest's book at the convention?  Why would his perspective of this event not be welcome?"  No one gave a response. 

6. The West Virginia Book Company (http://www.wvbookco.com/) declined to distribute Protester Voices because “an academic publisher would be a better fit.” Even a cursory reading of Protester Voices would not put it in that (textbook) category (see #8). The website for the West Virginia Book Company lists categories of what they carry including Appalachian Studies, County Histories, Reference, and West Virginia History. Protester Voices fits all of those categories.

7. The director of West Virginia University Press (WVUP) told Karl Priest that WVUP is "foremost a scholarly press and I am afraid that (Protester Voices) does not fit into our program at this time.” Then she suggested a publisher with “a specifically conservative perspective.” WVUP publishes Roll Out the Carpet: 101 Seasons of West Virginia University Basketball and Witches, Ghosts, and Signs: Folklore of the Southern Appalachians. Also, it is debatable how many West Virginians would be interested in the WVUP Bringing Down the Mountains: The Impact of Mountaintop Removal on Southern West Virginia Communities. Additionally, what does the remark mean about seeking a "conservative" publisher? Is WVUP strictly a liberal publisher? (Note: According to the Spring 2012 magazine People and Mountains WVUP is a partner to The West Virginia Humanities Council. See item 16.)

8. Books-a-Million’s Review Board (via American Wholesale Book Company) said Protester Voices “has not met our needs at this time” and the Barnes and Noble buyer “decided not to add Protester Voices: The 1974 Textbook Tea Party to the assortment” (whatever that is). With all due respect, Priest pointed out that those book dealers either have no concept of what is happening in America or are so blinded by liberalism that they are unable to comprehend a book that would be embraced by mainstream America.

9. The Kanawha County Public Library hosted book signings at the main library and two library branches for a Gazette reporter who wrote West Virginia Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff. Isn’t it curious that the Kanawha County Public Library was not interested in Protester Voices?

10. One of the protester preachers asked a local independent supermarket to sell the books. The owner agreed, but kept them out of sight behind the counter and put up a notice on the bulletin board that customers could ask for the book. The same preacher had a restaurant owner happily agree to display the books for sale. Upon returning a few days later the owner said he would not keep the books because a couple refused to eat there if the books were for sale.

11. None of the Kanawha County area television news programs (WSAZ-3, WCHS-8, WVAH-11, and WOWK-13) would mention this one-of-a-kind historically accurate book.

12. From October 4 through October 11, 2010 the Main Cabell County Public Library hosted a program on the Great Textbook War consisting of the Great Textbook War documentary, the traveling exhibit, and the president of the Kanawha Valley Historical and Preservation Society helped host a discussion. The library did not respond to an email from Priest offering to attend. Also, at that time (and probably still) the Cabell County Library did not have a copy of Protester Voices. It is likely that other libraries have hosted a similar program.

13. The prime supplier of small press titles to libraries, Quality Books, has had miniscule success in marketing Protester Voices to West Virginia libraries even through the Textbook War is arguably one of the top three (non-catastrophe) historical events of West Virginia history. It would be interesting to see how many of those libraries own a copy of a book that mocks the protesters.

14. In November 2010, Karl Priest offered to donate a classroom set of Priest's book (Protester Voices—The 1974 Textbook Tea Party ) to each Kanawha County high school for use in an advanced placement class. Priest included free delivery.

The board was told that the use of Protester Voices would be an excellent opportunity for high school students to learn West Virginia history from a perspective unavailable elsewhere. Discussing Protester Voices would allow a unique way for students to exhibit the tolerance and diversity that is stressed as county policy.

Karl Priest provided a copy to each board member, the superintendent, and each high school.

The teacher screeners (censors) will need a few weeks to read the book. Should Priest’s offer be accepted, this item will be removed from this list. Only one board member contacted Priest after looking at his book. That board member stated that that the book would be better for a “more mature student population” (college level). That argument could be used to dispute the sexually graphic and blasphemous books already used by the high school students.

For details of the board meeting I attended see CHECK. and CHECKMATE!.

15. (This item discloses the petty nature of liberals as much as it does their hypocrisy.) The son of a prominent editorialist, during the Protester Voices era, contacted Priest about writing a book about the Textbook War. Andy (not his real name) is a newspaper journalist. He gloated over an incident where his late father had besmirched one of the protest leaders shortly after that leader moved out of state. When Priest took Andy to task for that low blow, Andy's email comments quickly turned hostile. Andy had ordered a copy of Protester Voices from Amazon. He returned the package unopened and marked “Refused.” For more about liberals and Protester Voices see “Lounging in Liberal Land.”

16. The West Virginia Encyclopedia (e-WV), maintained by the West Virginia Humanities Council, claims to be “the comprehensive reference resource for the Mountain State of West Virginia” with “thousands of articles on West Virginia’s people and places, history, arts, science and culture.” Its article on the Textbook War is slanted against the protesters. It reports facts, but fails to mention the worse act of violence was committed by a pro-booker.   Also, the violence, taken in context, was minimal and in many cases not connected to protesters.  Anyone could have done it.  There are several other examples that are slanted against the protestors. Karl Priest requested an opportunity to rebut (using material from Protester Voices). Finally, in January 2011 Priest was told the man in charge (Ken) “will think about it.” In early February Priest was informed that Ken wants to get a “national scholar.” For what purpose was not disclosed. Priest responded, “That makes no sense.  I was there.  I can document (already have in my book) anything I say.  The only national scholar I am aware of is highly prejudiced against the protesters.” (Note: According to the Spring 2012 magazine People and Mountains the West Virginia Humanities Council is a partner to West Virginia University Press. See item 7.)

17. After a Project Veritas undercover tape exposed the NPR leftist lean and bigotry toward fundamentalists Christians, Priest sent the following via the NPR website.

“In order to help you show the public that NPR does not censor the conservative public, I am available for an interview. My book Protester Voices—the 1974 Textbook Tea Party is the conservative Christian view of an event that is the subject of The Great Textbook War documentary .”

NPR responded by email by telling him to send a snail mail to a specific program. Priest asked for the email of the program that interviews authors. He waited a few days and asked again. That was on 3-23-11.

18. Liberals have grudgingly acknowledged that my book exists, but do not want to encourage anyone to read it. I am posting unfolding events.

A. West Virginia University developed a Great Textbook War Curriculum for use in public schools and tried to limit input from the protester side.

B. The Division of Culture and History publishes Goldenseal, “the magazine of West Virginia traditional life”, ran an article about “The Great Kanawha County Textbook War” in the Fall 2011 edition. The article was slanted against the protesters.

19. Last, but not least. This list of blatant banners and subtle censors is not surprising except for these particular participants. The others are sickening, but these are saddening.

A. Two preacher protesters and Priest asked to purchase 30 minutes on the WEMM-FM Christian radio station. They were refused because the book is “too controversial.”

The same day Priest was censored by WEMM that station broadcast two (these programs have been ongoing) infomercials (which is the category WEMM had placed Priest’s proposal when he first contacted the station). One was a “Millionaire Maker” book by Loral Langemeier. One part of of the book is called, “Getting off your lazy asses.” Immediately after that program was Dr. Newton's fish oil from Dr. Michael Pinkus. The expert is a chiropractor who works with Hollywood celebrities.

WEMM was not concerned about controversy connected to those two programs. One person who bought Langemeier's book said, "We were soon contacted by a person from this organization, attempting to upsell us on a mentoring program...We discussed it and decided against it. However, we were contacted again by their organization and this time it was a bit harder selling process. It moved on to an insulting phase...We were both under the belief that this would cancel all future obligations to the Loral Langemeier organization. Wrong, so wrong. I discovered a charge on my account for $67.00.” There is much more at http://www.ivetriedthat.com/2010/02/09/beware-of-loral-langemeier-and-the-millionaire-maker-books/.

One should wonder what real medical doctors have to say about Dr. Newton’s miracle potions. The Quackwatch website (http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/Pinkus/pinkus1.html) discloses that "the Minnesota Board of Chiropractic Examiners asked a Dr. Pinkus (unlikely there are two of them) to appear before a complaint panel to answer allegations."

B. A local pastor/Christian school administrator was afraid to be associated with the Textbook Protest Truth Program. Propaganda persuaded him. It seems that ignorance (being uniformed) and fear (kowtowing to God haters) is the course on which that preacher is proceeding.

*Censorship, by definition, is done by a “ government, media outlet, or other controlling body.” So, other groups or individuals (in the case of my book) are suppressing it.

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A Powerpoint presentation has been prepared to portray the truth about the 1974 textbook protesters to parry the pompous people who have poured propaganda into the public’s perception.

For quick accurate facts see Textbook Protester Truth.

TEXTBOOK WAR MAIN PAGE