The “Dismissal of Ruth Brown” is a story of a small town, a librarian and discrimination. The small town is Bartlesville, OK and the time, early 50s. America is in a quandary over challenges against its values. She, Ruth Brown, is accused of and eventually dismissed from her position as a librarian, because she was found to support and encourage civil rights amongst African Americans. This support becomes not only a civil rights issue, but a censorship issue as well. Ruth Brown was, as many of the individuals in the early librarian field, ahead of her time. They were and are, fore thinkers, the ambassadors of information--always on the cutting edge.
The thing that I found most remarkable is how Lousie Robbins drew a perfect picture of how the country dealt with these issues. Things haven’t changed much over the years. I think that because of how the town, Bartlesville, was impacted by social influence, as well as, economic. The inhabitants destroyed what they found as unnecessary annoyances that may interfere with their perfect lives. (Reading this book reminded me of the movie “The Stepford Wives” with Nicole Kidman) Money and influence always will take precedence over values. Phillips Petroleum and its “family” ran Bartlesville. Anything or anyone that stood up against what they saw as acceptable was told/taught otherwise.
The representation of how women should be domestic and subversive, at best, is represented very clearly and is quite typical. Other women in the town felt the same way as Ruth and thus she had her allies. The YWCA supported her and became central in working to overcome the cultural strictures influencing prevailing ideologies. Many others seemed to “act” as if they were working to help her, but in reality were weak in their battle. . .ALA.
Anyway. . .I believe events, such as this one, strengthen the battle for others. Something was taught and something was learned. Though the battle continues. . .
