Reading for 25 Mar: The Dismissal of Miss Ruth Brown

Robbins’ account of the Ruth Brown story ventures beyond the scope of library science and history to incorporate the social and political issues surrounding the public library – issues that are often overlooked by those not in the field. Her description is effective in that it uses historical context to give a clear analysis of the unfolding events in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, allowing readers to go behind the front of “communism” and see the real political agenda behind Miss Brown’s dismissal. Reading this book 50+ years later, readers – especially those who did not grow up in the 1950’s era – might look at the issue from a skewed perspective, but Robbins is quick to fix this problem by explaining and analyzing the context in which the event(s) developed. The organizational structure of the book seemed a bit unclear, leading to overlapping time periods and lapses in chronology, but the overall story remained clear.

While the underlying issue of the controversy caused by Miss Brown was racism and racial integration, critics put of the façade of communism to get their agenda across. Granted, communism was a legitimate fear in this era and some people probably were concerned about liberal activities in the public library; however, Robbins demonstrates that it was more a vehicle to push for segregation. Robbins effectively uses primary sources to show where the communism claim falls short and acts as a cover up. Citing Richard Kane’s evaluation of the library’s collection, “’there was a little leaning toward the left’ but no evidence in the collection that Brown was a ‘Communist sympathizer’… people were unwilling to express the real reason” (65). Insisting that this was simply a way to shift attention away from the real concerns, Robbins provides further analysis from the opposing side, pointing out that “in spite of what appears to have been a clear understanding… that Brown nor any of the other participants… was a member of the Communist party or in any way disloyal to the U.S.” they were still successfully accused as such (160). Christopher himself admitted such a fact (117). Even those who agreed with Brown remained quiet for they felt a need to proceed with extreme caution (89). By providing primary evidence from parties on both sides of the controversy, Robbins lends credibility to her own analysis.

Robbins is furthermore able to show the hypocrisy and injustice of the issue altogether by exposing the logical fallacies and ironies within the opposition’s arguments. She puts Brown’s enemies in a double-bind when she analyzes an Examiner-Enterprise advertisement that although they were fighting communism and the ideologies and practices it bred, they themselves were telling citizens “what opinions to hold” and attempting to get “rid of those who refuse to conform” (79). She turns their own case against them, expressing the absurdity of the communist façade and discrediting the commission. To add fuel to the fire, she points out the logical fallacies inherent in their position. Conservatives linked Brown to magazines which they further linked to communism, and therefore proposed that Brown herself – by purchasing and circulating such periodicals – endorsed the “communistic ideas in them” (159). Successfully discrediting the opposition, Robbins next analyzes the incident from a historical perspective, giving readers an idea of why things unfolded as they did. To begin with, McCarthy discourse was at a peak, racial tensions continued to grow and threaten the white social hierarchy, and women did not remain to the same civic groups as men did – they were “handicapped in opportunities” (157). Realizing that Brown’s position allowed for alliances with these groups inferior to the commission, it makes sense why what seems today to be a clear violation of the Constitution went practically unchallenged in the mainstream.

The words and problems established in the book give a defining purpose to today’s librarian, presenting censorship as a prime threat to the library as an institution and moreover to the mission of the public library. Robbins’ diction and rhetoric set up a tone of urgency – calling on the reader (or more likely the librarian-reader) to take action and end discrimination and unwarranted censorship in the library. History comes alive as the stories and legacies of the past live on today. Indeed, Robbins warns that the library is “exposed and vulnerable” (160). She sets up the library’s role as protector and promoter of culture, and that during times of intense cultural change, libraries are pressured to maintain the traditions of the community. When a white librarian fighting for equality of blacks threatened the traditional societal structure of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, the mainstream public responded in fury. Robbins’ rhetoric and words of wisdom beckon librarians – but also the reader in mainstream society – not to fall victim to the demands of silence and conformity. Especially today as the internet and national security threaten that freedom of information, the message is particularly pertinent.