A Diamond in the Rough

Social Activism and an American Dream -- the 70s and 80s in San Jose

A Diamond in the Rough is a continuation of Timothy K. Fitzgerald’s trilogy begun with Wawona Brotherhood, outlining student activism during the Vietnam War and his campus’ fight for racial equality. In his second historical volume outlining the subsequent redevelopment of downtown San Jose, the real-life characters of volume one enter mainstream society in the ‘70s and ‘80s to fight urban renewal. Fitzgerald and his friends join the working class of Silicon Valley to implement low income housing and jobs for the working poor, assisting people who lived in San Jose’s inner city for decades. The story follows Fitzgerald’s efforts to represent district residents on the San Jose City Council. "Tim Fitzgerald participated in the transformation of San Jose from an agricultural market town to the Capital of Silicon Valley - neighborhood groups transformed city politics by replacing citywide council elections with election by district - in the process defeating the pro-growth political machine." - Terry Christianson, former chair, San Jose State University Political Science Department, and leader of Redistricting of San Jose "Fitzgerald is able to ‘bring to life’ the hidden forces that create economic inequality in big cities in this volume - how a rapidly growing city’s ambitious urban planning policy creates ‘economic apartheid.’ " - Scott Wagers, founder, Student Homeless Alliance, Senior Pastor, CHAM Deliverance Ministry