'Losing a life to find it': Ben Robertson, Jr.'s freedom quest

This thesis is a revisionist perspective on the life and legacy of Ben Robertson, Jr. Throughout the last seventy years, a few efforts have been made to assess Robertson's significant contributions. For the most part, these have focused on his accomplishments as a southern author or journalist in the first half of the twentieth century. This thesis, in contrast, examines Robertson's life trajectory in terms of his understanding of and commitment to American freedoms. It examines how Robertson, a young man from the upcountry of South Carolina, was able to become a leader in one of the most significant freedom struggles in world history. How in his forty years did his use his various gifts to encourage American freedoms within his state, country and beyond?...