Tallahassee author Clifton Savoy taps Oklahoma history in 'Shades of Color'
Clifton Savoy, the author of "Shades of Color" (Savoyhouse, LLC, 2021), was born and raised on the western Great Plains of Oklahoma. This is the area where this story took life.
Savoy, who now lives in Tallahassee, will discuss "Shades of Color" at Midtown Reader, 1123 Thomasville Road, from 7-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 3.
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Savoy attended college at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, and "Shades of Color" concerns the experiences of the first individuals of color at this almost-all-white university.
The stories are true; some will make you laugh out loud, others may cause you to reflect with sadness at the things that were happening on other campuses and in larger cities around the United States.
Savoy researched historical and current events that concerned racial and political tensions around the country. Students on campus shared their own reactions to the turmoil and violence happening elsewhere.
At Northwestern, the students of color were accepted in the academic, social and sports realms of campus life. Friendships that lasted a lifetime were formed. The townspeople contributed to this dynamic with their own acceptance of people so different from themselves.
Savoy, who is a member of the Tallahassee Writers Association, worked with the university leadership and contacted former athletes and student leaders from those times in the 1950s and 1960s to record their memories for future generations.
The book includes stories about everyday life of the student athlete, the practices and the games, dorm living, classes, favorite professors or coaches, social events and some hilarious moments. The personal interviews and photos make it enjoyable for any reader.
"Shades of Color" highlights lessons that, over 50 years later, will help individuals trying to make sense of the violence of that time to know the whole country wasn’t like that. A small college in northwest Oklahoma had a different legacy to pass on, and they did that quite well.
Kathlyn Carter Smith is an award-winning author and member of the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. and Tulsa Night Writers. She is included in the anthology From Behind the Mask (Paperback Press, 2020). Smith lives in Broken Arrow, OK.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: 'Shades of Color' author will give talk at Midtown Reader
