Asa Earl Carter American writer, racist, Ku Klux Klansman Date of Birth: 04.09.1925 Country: USA

1. Biography of Esa Earl Carter
2. Early Life and Education
3. Controversial Radio Career
4. Political Involvement and Departure
5. Later Years and Literary Success

Biography of Esa Earl Carter

Esa Earl Carter was an American writer, racist, and Ku Klux Klan member. He is best known for a series of popular Western novels released under the pseudonym 'Forrest Carter'.

Early Life and Education

Carter was born in Anniston, Alabama, and was the eldest of four children. Despite later spreading rumors about his orphaned past, both of his parents were actively involved in his upbringing and passed away when Carter was already an adult. He served in the Navy during World War II and pursued his education at the University of Colorado, specializing in journalism.

Controversial Radio Career

After the war, Carter married India Thelma Walker and settled in Birmingham, Alabama, where they had four children. He found relatively stable work at Birmingham's WILD radio station, and his programs were broadcasted by over 20 different stations from 1953 to 1955. However, Carter's radio project was eventually shut down due to the controversy he stirred with his racist remarks, particularly targeting African Americans and Jews.

Political Involvement and Departure

In March 1956, Carter gained national attention for his passionate speech condemning what he believed was the corrupting influence of "black culture" on white teenagers in the southern part of the country. He publicly opposed rock and roll music and urged owners of cassette tape recorders to destroy songs by black artists. In September of the same year, Carter's speech, given after the integration of a school in Clinton, Tennessee, sparked a violent riot, with 200 enraged citizens vandalizing several cars and planning to march to the town hall.

Carter and his brother James were arrested in 1957 for a fight with the police who were attempting to arrest six of their acquaintances suspected of involvement in a recent Ku Klux Klan shootout. Carter had a personal connection with the Ku Klux Klan, having even founded a small branch of the organization in the mid-1950s. Under his influence, his followers attacked singer Nat King Cole in April 1956, and a year later, members of the same group brutally assaulted African American laborer Edward Aaron.

Later Years and Literary Success

Leaving the Ku Klux Klan in 1958 due to financial disagreements, Carter decided to pursue a career in politics but achieved little success. He initially worked with Alabama Governor George Wallace, who later denied any association with him. Carter then attempted to establish himself independently but lost the election, receiving only 1.51% of the votes, to his former boss and three other rivals. After his political failure, Carter moved to Sweetwater, Texas, where he focused on writing. He distanced himself from his past, referring to his children as nieces and adopting the name 'Forrest Carter'.

Carter achieved significant success in literature, with one of his books later being adapted into a film by Clint Eastwood. However, on June 7, 1969, in the midst of working on a new book, Carter passed away. Officially, his cause of death was a heart attack, although rumors suggest it occurred during a fight with one of his sons. Carter was laid to rest in his hometown of Anniston, with none of his relatives attending his funeral.