Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1526693
W illiam G. Herbet, a Detroit military veter- an, celebrated Independence Day with the release of a new Civil War-themed book – A tribute to his great grandfather, a Black bar- ber and Union Army Soldier who is unexpectedly called on to serve as President Lincoln's bar- ber. The young serviceman forms an unusual bond with the president, goes on to an extraor- dinary life of public service, and upon Lincoln's recommendation, is appointed as the first Black clerk in the US government. This new book tells the com- ing-of-age story of young Solomon "Sweet" Johnson who battles the enslavement of oth- ers from his earliest days. The Other Life of Abraham Lincoln's Barber, ($26.00, hardcover – Deep Run Books, July 2024) describes how, as a Civil War soldier serving with the Union Light Guard of Ohio, Solomon and his unit are assigned as White House presidential guards. Because of his barbering skills, Solomon is called on to serve as both a guard and the president's new barber when the previous barber dies unexpect- edly. Sensitive war-time conversations between Lincoln and his cabinet members overheard by Solomon as he shaves and cuts the president's hair shape the young guard's views on public service. Through his White House work, he becomes increasingly sensitized to the nation's contin- uing failure to live out the fundamental principle of the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal. He begins to secretly escort escaped slaves to freedom as an Underground Railroad conduc- tor. The relationship he forms with the beleaguered war-time leader results in Solomon's appointment as a Treasury Department clerk, the first Black office worker in the history of the US govern- ment. Solomon is energized by his trailblazing new responsibilities but deeply troubled by the pres- ident's assassination. He lever- ages his government worker sta- tus and a Masonic leadership position in the battle to preserve the gains of Reconstruction as the nation rapidly slides back into white supremacy following the death of the Great Emancipator. Whether, as a teenager rescuing neighborhood friends kidnapped by Southern slavecatchers, or later, as an Underground Railroad Conductor and Union Army sol- dier, Solomon never misses an opportunity to strike a blow for freedom and equality. The Other Life of Abraham Lincoln's Barber (ISBN: 9798218390921) is available at all online booksellers and from williamgherbert.com. Book reading/Signings will take place in a number o cities. For more information or to purchase a copy, contact William G Herbert at 248-703-9159 or william.g.her - bert@deeprunbooks.com. 12 B M & T ••• September/October 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com NEW CIVIL WAR THEMED BOOK HONORS SOLOMON JOHNSON