A Belated Story of Racial Harmony

Willy Leventhal is a man with a mission, acting as his own publicist as he hopscotches across the country doing interviews and book-signings from his home base in Ventura County. The mission--to tell the untold story of the Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama.

Recently, from a phone booth on the Malibu campus of Pepperdine University, he discussed his book for Page Turner.

It doesn’t require a fertile imagination to picture Leventhal as a young UCLA student turned civil-rights activist in the ‘60s, working for voter registration on campuses in the deep South for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Now that the ‘90s are nearly over, Leventhal wants people to be aware of the cooperation between blacks and whites during the onset of the boycott.

The tale of Rosa Parks and her refusal to give up her bus seat in 1955 is familiar. Her arrest triggered the massive bus boycott that lasted 11 months and launched the civil rights movement and the career of King. It’s all in the history books now, but Leventhal wants to set the record straight with the book he edited and co-wrote, “The Children Coming On

His co-authors include Fred D. Gray, Frank Sikora and J. Mills Thornton III, along with many other boycott participants who contributed recollections.

“We feel that this is a very hopeful book for both blacks and whites, and a model for all cultural groups in this country,” said Leventhal. “We had this interracial partnership that has really been underappreciated. Knowing that people of goodwill can supersede these things is very inspiring.”

Why, you wonder, wasn’t the story told before?

As his college coordinator, Leventhal worked closely with King from 1965 until King’s assassination in 1968. He believes King intentionally omitted crediting white supporters during the boycott to protect them from potential harassment from the Klan. He says King’s widow agreed with that assumption in a conversation he had with her years later. And he offers another theory about political correctness.

“If you give credit to white people, some people think that diminishes the role of black people,” Leventhal said. “That’s not necessarily mutually exclusive.” Rather, he finds it praiseworthy that whites and blacks became friends and allies both politically and socially at a rigid and dangerous time for both races. Better to make allies and trust people who can help you and not be blinded by race on either side, he says.

Coming from a background that also included an unsuccessful run for California state Senate against Allan Robbins in 1982, Leventhal says he doesn’t worry about political correctness. His aim is to write the truth, based on his research and experiences, and let the book speak for itself. You can meet him at the book-signing and discussion at 2 p.m. Saturday at Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura, 339-9170.

HAPPENINGS

* Today at 2:30 p.m., Aaron Hass, co-finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, will discuss and sign his newest book, “Doing the Right Thing: Cultivating Your Moral Intelligence.” Barnes & Noble, 4735 Commons Way, Calabasas, (818) 222-0542.

* Monday at 7 p.m., the Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network will hold the first meeting of the West Ventura County chapter, with author Debbie Puente as featured speaker. In one year, Puente sold 20,000 copies of her book on creme brulee. Free to members and guests; nonmembers $5. Contact Patricia Frye at 646-3045 for more information. Ventura Bookstore, 522 E. Main St., Ventura.

* Tuesday at 4 p.m., Cal Lutheran University professors Jonathan Boe, Susan Corey and Marsha Markman will read and discuss excerpts from their upcoming two-volume collection, “Women’s Lives: American Women’s History Through Diaries and Letters.” At CLU’s Soiland Humanities Center, Room 109, 60 W. Olsen Road, Thousand Oaks, 493-3151. At 4:30 p.m., a biography program for school-age children will feature Laura Ingalls Wilder. Barnes & Noble, 160 S. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 446-2820. At 7 p.m., author Rebekah Witter and contributing author Robert Miller will discuss and sign their new book, “Living With HorsePower!” Miller is a Thousand Oaks resident and founder and former chief of staff of Conejo Valley Veterinary Clinic. Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 497-8159.

The following two events will be held at Ventura’s Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., 339-9170.

* Wednesday at 9:30 a.m., “Blue’s Clues,” part of a new preschool story time to be held Wednesday mornings.

* Friday at 7 p.m., “Happy Birthday, Miss Spider,” story time and coloring.

* Saturday at noon, author Gregg Main will sign and discuss “Every Trace” at Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 374-0084. Noon to 3 p.m., Beverly Merrill Kelley, co-author of “Reelpolitik: Political Ideologies in ‘30s and ‘40s Films,” signs books at Phantom Bookshop, 451 E. Main St., Ventura, 641-3844. At 7 p.m., Pajamamania, for kids. Borders, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 497-8159.

Catch you next week.

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Information about book-signings, writers groups or publishing events can be faxed to Ann Shields at 647-5649 or e-mailed to anns40@aol.com.