As book bans, curriculum and media censorship continue to rapidly overtake the country, SARC is spotlighting books that have been banned or will be banned in K-12 each month. This month, we read “Life is So Good” by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman.
George Dawson’s “Life is So Good” is a testament to resilience, wisdom and the power of perspective. Co-written with Richard Glaubman, this memoir details Dawson’s extraordinary life — from witnessing racial injustice in the early 20th century to learning to read and write at the age of 98 and publishing his autobiography at 102. His story is one of remarkable strength and gratitude, reminding us that it is never too late to pursue our dreams.
In 2002, Carroll ISD named one of their middle schools after Mr. Dawson. Hypocritically, a couple of years ago, “Life Is So Good” was challenged and censored by the administration for “sensitive content,” referring to the lynching of Dawson’s 17-year-old friend, Pete, who was falsely accused of raping and impregnating a white woman in 1908.
Dawson recalled the fateful day his father took him to town to buy a peppermint. He had been working to help support his family since he was 4 years old and was excited to use his earnings for one sweet treat. As 10-year-old George stood at the cashier’s counter with his father, peppermint in hand, he looked up and saw an angry white mob violently drag Pete down the street as he pleaded for his life.
“Make that boy pay and show all the niggers they can’t get away with this,” said the sheriff. Pete begged for mercy and pleaded his innocence, but was ruthlessly killed anyway. Six months later, Pete’s accuser, Betty Jo, gave birth to a white child.
If Dawson was old enough to witness a white mob murder his friend in cold blood at ten years old, and Pete was old enough to endure it at 17, then middle schoolers are certainly old enough to read about it. At the very least, maybe having access to texts like “Life is So Good” would help students to understand the painful history behind racial slurs. Instead, CISD is infamously known for its white students chanting the N-word on camera and protecting them, rather than the Black students and families who were affected by it.
In his research, it became clear to Glaubman that the erasure of American history was already at play. He and Dawson could not find any newspaper coverage of what happened to Pete, or the countless other Black lives lost and destroyed at the hands of white people. “I guess I am the only man alive that knows the truth about Pete Spillman,” Dawson said.
Throughout the book, Dawson described how he remembered Pete and presented the best version of himself every day in his honor. Though Dawson lived life to the fullest with what he was given, he was forced to carry the torment — memory of his friend’s tortured, lifeless body with him, and know that he could likely wind up the same for simply being Black.
Despite enduring segregation, economic struggle, and unimaginable personal loss, Dawson constantly maintained an unwaveringly positive outlook, choosing gratitude over bitterness. His mantra, “Life is so good,” isn’t just a phrase or a book title—it’s a philosophy rooted in the idea that happiness comes from within, not from circumstance that the Dawson family abided by as enslaved African Americans in the 1800s, through the Great Depression, Jim Crow segregation and even now in 2025 as his descendants carry on the Dawson story.
“Life is So Good” serves as both an inspiring narrative and a historical account, offering readers a firsthand glimpse into the realities of American culture; the good and the despicable evils too. Dawson’s life is American history. CISD banning his book is not only ironic, but a vile act of white supremacy.
Dawson passed away in 2001 at the age of 103. Towards the end of his life and during the making of this book, he reflected on his purpose and legacy. “I am a witness to the truth. That’s why I am still here. I can’t let the truth die with me. That’s why you’re here: to help me get the true story down, before it’s my time,” he said.
With the return of Donald Trump to office, policies aimed at censoring history and erasing key aspects of American culture are quickly being adopted. On Jan. 31, 2025, NBC reported that federal agencies are pausing key observances such as Black History Month, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pride Month, Women’s History Month, and many others, in compliance with President Trump’s anti diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. We cannot sit idly by and wait. We must keep Mr. Dawson’s story alive. We must keep history alive.
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