In her compelling new book, Barbara Perkins-Brown tells the raw and intimate story of her father’s time serving in Subic’s U.S. Military installation. While he joined the armed forces to escape the segregation and racial tension of 1960s America, his story is a hard-hitting reminder that foreign soil provided no safe haven from discrimination, prejudice and soul-destroying plight.
Montgomery, AL -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/25/2013 -- In the 1960s, Bobby Earl Perkins fell victim to deplorable segregation and discrimination, just because he was a black American. Desperate to escape his native Alabama and the abuse that had become part and parcel of being an African American in the Deep South, Perkins signed up to the Military and embarked on what he hoped would be a new life as a sailor.
However, after arriving on the shores of Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines, Perkins quickly learned that African American sailors suffered the same plight as those on home soil. From being demoted in rank to facing criminal charges just because of the color of their skin, Perkins’ daughter tells her father and his comrades’ poignant story of life as black servicemen.
‘Subic: A Sailor’s Memoir’ covers the two years that Perkins was stationed at Subic; a little-known yet historically relevant testimony that sheds new light on a subject few will speak about in public.
Synopsis:
In this riveting memoir, Bobby Earl Perkins recollects the constitutional issue of racial discrimination and how his Christian faith ushers him amid the seemingly insurmountable struggles to establish his pride and dignity while stationed in Subic Bay Naval Base, Philippines.
This sailor's account somehow mirrors the civil rights movements happening back in the U.S. soil in 1960s and provides a glimpse of how a group of servicemen, in a risk-taking effort, upholds the sense of justice and equality that every American is entitled of--even aboard a foreign land. Subic is a story that is not so ordinary; however, its significance is not alien to many.
As the author explains, her book is one of just a handful that document the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s from the perspective of African Americans based abroad.
“This is my heartfelt attempt to capture my father's thoughts and emotions during his unforgettable time in the Philippines. There’s a piece of history shrouded in the story of Subic and those who served there. It mirrors the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s in a subtle way; when Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in 1968, his death became a platform for racial outbreak and riots inside Subic,” says Perkins-Brown, who is committed to sharing her father’s experiences with today’s generation.
Continuing, “It harbors part of the American experiences because it mirrors the historical situation of the South in the late 1960s vying against discrimination and prejudice. Subic is a story that is not so ordinary; however, its significance is not alien to many.”
Since its release, the book has garnered a consistent string of rave reviews.
“I was overwhelmed with every emotion possible while reading this outstanding memoir. It tugged at my heart-strings like I was really there with Bobby going through the racial prejudice and hatred myself. It is a great story of one man's struggle and his faith in God. This memoir is very inspiring and reminds us that we are all human beings to be treated with pride and dignity,” said a reviewer at ReadersFavorite.com.
Charles DeVinner, a Former Army National Guard and retired Major was equally as impressed. He added, “The tales shared from this man's perspective stirred my emotions. No matter how many stories are told, none are as moving as the ones told by those who lived it; if it were not for the courage of men like Mr. Perkins, we might again be on the course to repeat some of the inequities of the past.”
‘SUBIC: A Sailor's Memoir’ is available now in paperback and electronic formats: http://amzn.to/15w4BeS
For more information, visit the author’s official website: http://www.barbaraperkins-brown.com
About Dr. Barbara Perkins-Brown
Dr. Barbara Perkins-Brown is a public educator and a former member of the Army National Guard. She earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership, Policy & Law from Alabama State University. Her latest book "Subic: A Sailor's Memoir (Based on the Story of Bobby Earl Perkins)" unveils a little-known, but historically relevant, account of her father and his fellow servicemen who endured racial discrimination in the military while stationed in Subic Bay Naval Base, Philippines during the late 1960s. Dr. Brown loves writing poetry and devotional guide to profess her Christian faith; some of her works include "54 Poems for the Lord in 2 Days," "Sackcloth: Voices in Verse," "The Joys Within," and "In the Presence of the Ultimate: A Guide to Spiritual Inquiry." She is an active part of Alabama State Poetry Society, Alabama Writers Conclave, Military Writers Society of America, A Galaxy of Verse, and Toastmasters International. Dr. Brown had lived in Honolulu, Hawaii before residing in Montgomery, Alabama--now she calls home and enjoys the southern lifestyle with her four children.