Brownsville Texas Incident of 1906: The True and Tragic Story of a Black Battalion's Wrongful Disgrace and Ultimate Redemption
GENRE
CRIME DRAMA MYSTERY POLITICAL ACTION BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORICAL FICTION WAR
Core Theme
JUSTICE AND HONOR
TIME PERIOD
1960s & '70s,Earlier 20th Century
COMPARABLE TITLES
12 YEARS A SLAVE
CHARACTER LIST
MAJOR WILLIAM “BILL” BAKER. BRAVE, HONORABLE, COMPETENT.
DORSIE WILLIS. 80'S. EXPERIENCED, WITTY, FUN, COMPETENT. SURVIVOR.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT. PRESIDENT OF THE USA. PATRIOTIC, TOUGH, INTOLERANT.
MINGO SANDERS. 40'S. COMPETENT, HONORABLE, HEROIC.
Logline
1972- Lt. Colonel William Baker sets out on a dangerous mission to correct a 1906 injustice perpetrated by Pres. Theodore Roosevelt who drummed out 167 Black US Army soldiers who were falsely accused of shooting up the town of Brownsville, Texas, and battles top Pentagon brass to prove their innocence.
Target Audiences
Age: 18-34,35-54
Target Gender: Universal
Setting
Brownsville, Texas
Based on a True Story
Yes
Publishing Details
Status: Yes: self-published
Publisher: Red Engine Press
Year Published: 2020
Starting Description
The story begins in the late 1930s in rural Southwest Georgia when a former slave tells his grandson, William Baker, a story about a case of racial injustice that had occurred three decades earlier when President Theodore Roosevelt discharged without honor, 167 Black soldiers falsely accused of shooting up the town of Brownsville Texas in 1906.
Ending Description
The story ends in the Nixon White House, when that boy, now a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pentagon, reinvestigates the case and proves the innocence of the black soldiers who are exonerated some 66 years later and identifies a lone survivor, Dorsie W. Willis.
Group Specific
Information not completed
Hard Copy Available
Yes
ISBN
2019953114
Mature Audience Themes
Language/Profanity
Plot - Other Elements
Twist
Plot - Premise
Overcoming Monster/Villain,Other
Main Character Details
Name: Major William “Bill” Baker
Age: early 40's
Gender: Male
Role: Protagonist
Key Traits: Skillful,Decisive,Heroic,Educated,Honorable,Leader,Strong Moral Code
Additional Character Details
Name: Dorsie W. Willis
Age: late 80's
Gender: Male
Role: Mentor
Key Traits: Sophisticated,Confident,Funny,Outspoken,Sarcastic
Additional Character Details
Name: President Theodore Roosevelt
Age: Late 40's
Gender: Male
Role: protagonist
Key Traits: Criminal,Confident,Decisive,Leader,Patriotic
Additional Character Details
Name: First Sergeant Mingo Sanders
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Role: protagonist
Key Traits: Decisive,Faithful,Skillful,Adventurous,Patriotic,Strong Moral Code,Leader,Heroic,Visionary,Gracious,Aspiring
Genre
ACTION, DRAMA, POLITICS, WAR
Brief
Lt. Colonel William Baker reconstructs his mission retrieving the honor of 167 black US Army soldiers who were dishonoured by president Roosevelt following the Brownsville affair.
Overall Rating
EXCELLENT
Narrative Elements
Authors Writing Style: EXCELLENT
Characterization: EXCELLENT
Commerciality: EXCELLENT
Franchise Potential: EXCELLENT
Pace: EXCELLENT
Premise: EXCELLENT
Structure: EXCELLENT
Theme: EXCELLENT
Accuracy of Book Profile
Book profile does reflect the book, however it would be impossible to describe such a magnificent work in only one page.
Draw of Story
The story of the Brownsville affair and Lt. Colonel William Baker quest for justice is not only a story that has to be told, but is also spectacularly written in this book.
Possible Drawbacks
Absolutely nothing would make anyone sane put this book down. It is well written and widely grounded in facts.
Use of Special Effects
THE STORY RELIES A LITTLE BIT ON SPECIAL EFFECTS
Primary Hook of Story
If well adapted, I can say this movie would be a hit because the story is one of the widest injustices in American history, and the universality of this theme is unfortunately present nowadays. The tendency of adapting those stories is, fortunately, more present than ever.
Fanbase Potential
This adaptation could have a large fanbase because retelling Brownsville incident is mandatory, and not only that but the story is also graciously told by an exquisite storyteller, which is also the man who had the opportunity to act on the affair and somehow repair such injustice.
Awards Potential
This adaptation brings along high Awards potential as it makes room for good acting, directing, screenwriting as the book is amazingly written and scenes and passages are already thrilling.
Envisioned Budget
MEDIUM BUDGET
Similar Films/TV Series
12 YEARS A SLAVE, DJANGO, HARRIET
What’s New About the Story
This story is highly original because it can be defined not only as a mere story but also history reparation. The men discharged by president Roosevelt were dishonoured and most of them carried this burden to their graves; even though an adaptation is not able to repair that, it can be effective on restoring dignity and pride to those memories.
Lead Characters
William Baker, the author and protagonist, is a competent and honorable man working in the Pentagon and as he gets involved in the case, becomes determined to retell this story and restore dignity on the lives of those man discharged.
Uniqueness of Story
This book is not only a rare gem, but anyone who would pass this adaptation by would certainly later regret it, as it most probably will be adapted sooner or later and become a huge success.
Possible Formats
Film - Studio, Film - Streaming, Unscripted, TV Series - Network, TV Series - Limited Run / Mini-Series, TV Series - Streaming, TV Series - Cable
Analyst Recommendation
RECOMMEND
Justification
I highly recommend this story because recovering Brownsville affair, specially through the eyes of a black man, Colonel William "Bill" Baker, many years later involved in the case, is mandatory and also a pleasure to read as it is exquisitely written. Another thing to be noted in this story is that it recovers a situation of injustice, but there is also room for hope from the work done by our hero William.
Brief
True story. Colonel William Baker dives into heroic investigation seeking redemption for injustice perpetrated by President Roosevelt, who dishonored 167 Black US Army soldiers unfairly back in 1906.
What We Liked
This is a story that should not only be told through audiovisual productions but it also should be on every American History book. It is written by a true American hero, Bill Baker, who went through many obstacles to retrieve the honor of 167 black men who served the Army and were falsely accused of shooting up the town of Brownsville. Apart from that, it's brilliantly written, as Bill is a masterful storyteller.
"It would be an amazing film or series not only because of the importance of the story and the timely subject, but for being a well defined story with flawless plot development and characters that are charismatic and have a clear purpose. This is a story of the most importance; and it has emotion, drama, and expectation. It is impossible not to get involved with the dedication of Major Baker to go through every obstacle that comes along.
Key points: Timely subject, flawless storytelling, powerful scenes, amazing and fun characters, true story.
Synopsis
The story begins in 1906 during the Brownsville incident - which is known so far as Brownsville Texas Riot, but is rightly reworded as an incident by the author. A shooting happens and a bartender is killed, and a white police officer is wounded.
However, members of the African-American 25th Infantry Regiment are accused and false evidences are placed against them - even though they haven't left their barracks. These 167 men are discharged without honor by President Roosevelt.
Then, in the 30's, a young boy observes a black man living in indignity and who later dies in the street. He is told by his grandfather the man was one of those 167 soldiers from Brownsville incident.
This young boy grows up to be William Baker, a brilliant man who becomes a Lieutenant Colonel in the Pentagon during Nixon's administration.
In 1972, William is set up to reopen the case. Bill investigates the whole situation, tracking every detail and evidence of that night, following the trials, the conspiracy of silence around the matter, including the process of Roosevelt's decision.
As Bill tracks the one survivor, Dorsie Willis, and succeeds in proving the innocence of those soldiers, he also retracks the destiny of men and provides an amazing reflection about compensation, reparation and leaves no doubt about the importance of his work to American history.