▁Mur fre es bor o , ▁Tennessee ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁His ▁father , ▁Gary ▁Mack , ▁was ▁an ▁officer ▁of ▁the ▁Black ▁Stud ents ▁Union ▁and ▁a ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁sit - in ▁that ▁successfully ▁integrated ▁Mur fre es bor o ▁Central ▁High ▁School ' s ▁cheer leading ▁squad . ▁Bayer ▁attended ▁Central ▁Middle ▁School ▁( now ▁Central ▁Mag net ▁School ) ▁and ▁Oak land ▁High ▁School . ▁He ▁is ▁an ▁al umn us ▁of ▁Middle ▁Tennessee ▁State ▁University ▁where ▁he ▁major ed ▁in ▁Journal ism ▁and ▁wrote ▁for ▁the ▁school ' s ▁editor ial ly ▁independent , ▁student - run ▁newspaper , ▁S idel ines . ▁ ▁College ▁writ ings ▁During ▁his ▁fresh man ▁year ▁at ▁M TS U , ▁in ▁his ▁first ▁column ▁as ▁S idel ines ''' ▁only ▁African - American ▁writer , ▁Mack ▁called ▁for ▁all ▁" stud ents , ▁black ▁and ▁white ," ▁to ▁boy c ott ▁a ▁popular ▁college ▁hang out ▁called ▁" P atr ick ' s ▁Fun ▁House " ▁after ▁the ▁white ▁owner ▁alleg edly ▁directed ▁ra cial ▁sl urs ▁at ▁his ▁black ▁pat rons ▁over ▁the ▁PA ▁system . ▁ ▁Bayer ▁wrote ▁that ▁he ▁and ▁" a ▁group ▁of ▁friends " ▁heard ▁about ▁the ▁incident ▁from ▁a ▁Nash ville ▁radio ▁station , ▁then ▁drove ▁to ▁the ▁establishment ▁in ▁nearby ▁Ant io ch ▁to ▁investigate . ▁ ▁The ▁group ▁interview ed ▁the ▁manager , ▁who ▁apolog ized , ▁but ▁not ▁the