It was never about a hot dog and a Coke!

Rodney L. Hurst, Sr.
WingSpan Press (2008)
ISBN 9781595941954
Reviewed by William Phenn for Reader Views (4/08)




A Jacksonville, Florida former councilman Rodney Hurst Sr. is a grandfather, father of two sons and has been a loving husband for over forty-one years. The inspiration for his book began when he was eleven-years-old and was introduced to his first youth group.

Joining a youth group at the age of eleven would be uneventful to an average child, but for Rodney; it was the beginning of an adventure. Who would have thought that this would be the beginning of a long road?  This road caused him pain, sorrow and depression, but yet gave him the greatest joy of his life, freedom.  In a time of “White only” restaurants, “White and Colored” restrooms, Rodney grew to become a notable activist for the struggles of his people. From his first sit-in at the “Woolworths Department Store,” to his election as Councilman for the city of Jacksonville, Florida; the book does a wonderful job of tracing Rodney’s plight. Tracing his exploits every step of the way, it kept you glued to the pages.

With all the adventure of a war novel, the book takes you to all the places history was made. It takes you to the front lines, the battles and the victories of the marches and the sit-ins. With such good attention to actual events and the truth of what took place, this book makes you one with the protestors. You become a part of the movement and feel what they were feeling.

I enjoyed “It was never about a hot dog and a Coke” and thought it was well-written and very nicely presented. The quality of the print, the front and back cover art and the reprints of historic pictures; all made for an interesting read. This historic 191-page book is a fast and informative read and I gave it my well-deserved A, and recommend it to the general audience.




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