Excerpt and Giveaway The Lakeside University Cover Up by Charles A Taylor by Charles A. Taylor

Description:

A cross is burned in the yard of two black Lakeside University students. When campus

officials call the incident a harmless prank, both black and white student organizations, launch a series of protests to force the administration into conducting a full investigation.

Instead, the administration devises a divide and conquer scheme to create a rift between black and white students. Feel the tension mounting as the students react to the Administration’s response to the incident. As black students turn up the pressure, the campus stands on the verge of a racial explosion. Campus leaders must find a way out of the crisis so they seek the help of Dr. Wendell Oliver, the country’s leading expert in diffusing racial tension.

Watch Dr. Oliver as he masterfully guides the feuding students into looking beyond themselves on a weekend retreat that is filled with action, danger, sexual attraction, and racial conflict. Discover the hidden lessons that students learn about friendship, betrayal and forgiveness. Follow the love story as the plot unfolds. Experience this roller coaster ride of emotions for yourself! Learn the secret behind the cross burning as the leading character Gloria finds her voice.

Students come to realize that the cross burning is more than just about racism. Its wicked flames shed light on corrupt cops, complicit college administrators and misguided attitudes that point to a major cover up. When students finally piece the puzzle together, justice is served but it comes with a steep price. Lakeside University will never be the same again.

EXCERPT

TOUR SCHEDULE

The nightmare started almost immediately. In the dream, Gloria looked out a window into a deep fog, as a bright light drew closer. In the mist she saw a silhouette of a woman nailed to a cross. She saw figures dressed in white robes. Their taunting was shrill and harsh. She got close enough to see the woman’s face. It was Ashante. Gloria looked again, and her own face looked back. She felt like she was burning inside and looked down to see flames surrounding her. 

The ringing of the telephone startled Gloria awake. 

She grabbed for it with one hand, wiping sweat from her forehead with the other. "Hello?" she said, her heart pounding in her throat.

A male voice answered. "Is this the house where the cross was burned tonight?" 

In her sleepy confusion, Gloria thought the caller might be the campus police, finally following up on the crime. "Yes!" she said, relieved. “Who is this?” 

"I—I'm not sure why I'm calling. But what they did was terrible,” the caller said. “You have to understand that's just how they are. It was nothing personal.”

Gloria sat up, instantly alert. But she kept her voice calm; afraid the caller would hang up if she sounded too excited. "You know who did it?" she said.

"I know what I know," the caller replied. "But, that’s not why I’m calling. I just wanted you to know it's not like everyone on campus is racist or against black people. Some of us just get caught up in shit and before we know it, it's too late." 

"Can you tell me who did it?” Gloria asked.

"It won’t do you any good."

"Why not? They committed a crime. They should be expelled. They should be arrested." Gloria heard the urgency in her voice and struggled to control it.

"The university won't do anything," the caller told her. "As far as the police are concerned, this is just a big waste of time.” 

"Could you at least tell me your name?"

"No way. I've told you more than I should have already. Mea culpa, mea culpa.

I gotta go." 

And the phone went silent.

Gloria ran to wake up Ashante. She called her name and even shook her, but received no response other than light snoring. Then she noticed the bottle of sleeping pills on the bedside table. She went into the kitchen for some water and drank it slowly as she worked up the courage to look out the front window. A car cruised by, its headlights dimmed, and she recognized the campus patrol car. She felt reassured for a moment, but then her eyes were drawn to the circle of scorched grass where the cross had blazed just hours before. The glow from the streetlights revealed just enough to bring her anger rushing back.

"Why?" she asked aloud. "Why would they do this? Why us?" Her questions reminded her of Sgt. Thomas and his callous attitude.

"I guess we did do something to provoke them," she whispered to the night. "We were in the wrong place at the wrong time, with the wrong skin color."

Gloria shivered, even though it was warm inside the house. She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Despite her brave words to her parents, she really wished she could go home. She couldn’t remember a time when she had been so frightened. She wrapped her robe tighter and retreated to Ashante’s room. She climbed into bed next to Ashante, shivered again, and huddled close to her friend, trying to push her fear away long enough to fall asleep. As the impact of the night’s event hit home, she was once again reminded what racism was really like and how much it deeply hurt.

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About the author:

Dr. Charles “Chuck” Taylor, author, speaker and diversity expert is currently a professor in the school of education at a Midwestern college. Although he has written and edited over 10 books, this is his first novel. Chuck has also written a full-length children’s musical, a highly acclaimed documentary on the Milwaukee, Wisconsin civil rights movement and continues to serve as a national consultant to college campuses in the areas of racial diversity and inclusion. Please visit him for additional information: 

Website ** Goodreads ** LinkedIn 

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