Asa Earl Carter, better known by his pen name Forrest Carter, was a figure of many contrasts. Born on September 4, 1925, and passing away on June 7, 1979, Carter's early career was marked by his involvement in segregationist politics and racial extremism. He was a 1950s segregationist political activist, a Ku Klux Klan organizer, and an opponent of the civil rights movement in Alabama. Among his controversial contributions to American political discourse was co-writing George Wallace's infamous pro-segregation line of 1963, "Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever," and running in the Democratic primary for governor of Alabama on a white supremacist ticket.

Despite his contentious political activities, Carter underwent a remarkable transformation in his later years. Under the pseudonym Forrest Carter, he embarked on a literary career, writing The Rebel Outlaw: Josey Wales (1972), a Western novel that inspired a 1976 film adaptation starring Clint Eastwood, and The Education of Little Tree (1976), a best-selling, award-winning book marketed as a memoir but later revealed to be fiction. Both works have left a lasting impact on American culture, with The Education of Little Tree garnering particular acclaim for its storytelling, despite the controversies surrounding its authorship and the authenticity of its narrative.

The revelation that Forrest Carter was actually Asa Carter came to light in 1976, following the success of his literary works. This discovery prompted a reexamination of his life and legacy, leading to renewed national attention in 1991 when The Education of Little Tree topped the New York Times paperback best-seller lists in both non-fiction and fiction categories and won the American Booksellers Book of the Year (ABBY) award. Carter's life story is a complex tapestry of contradiction, showing a profound shift from political extremism to literary success, and continues to be a subject of debate and analysis.