Strong Inside

“Strong Inside” tells the powerful and poignant story of Perry Wallace, the first African American to play college basketball in the deeply segregated Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1960s. Wallace was recruited by Vanderbilt University, stepping onto the court not just as an athlete, but as a civil rights pioneer in one of the most hostile environments in the Deep South. Maraniss situates Wallace’s journey within the broader context of the era—he entered kindergarten just as Brown v. Board of Education began dismantling school segregation, and as a teenager witnessed landmark moments in the civil rights movement, including sit‑ins and the triumph of Texas Western’s all-Black lineup over Kentucky in the NCAA championship.

Andrew Maraniss offers a richly detailed and emotionally resonant portrait of Wallace’s experience at Vanderbilt, from enduring racist taunts and hostility in gymnasiums across the South, to resisting loneliness and isolation on campus. Despite the adversity, Wallace persevered with remarkable strength, embodying both the grace and grit required to navigate a society resistant to change. The narrative delves into his struggle and eventual self‑realization, emphasizing how his story became a catalyst for meaningful reflection and reconciliation in communities like Nashville and at Vanderbilt itself.

First published in 2014, “Strong Inside” became a New York Times bestseller and received significant recognition, earning the 2015 Lillian Smith Book Award and a Special Recognition honor from the RFK Book Awards Foundation. A Young Readers edition followed, continuing to inspire younger audiences with its message of courage and resilience. In its expanded tenth‑anniversary edition, Maraniss includes a concluding chapter that updates readers on the years following the original release, especially Wallace’s legacy and the emotional healing prompted by the book, and Wallace’s passing in 2017 .