We Are Your Children Too - by Pearson (Hardcover)

About the Book

"In 1954, after the passing of Brown v Board, one county in southern Virginia chose to close its public schools rather than integrate. Those public schools stayed closed for five years. This was the reality of the people of Prince Edward County. When the affluent white population of Prince Edward County built a private school-for white children only-they left Black children and their families with very few options. Some Black children were home schooled by unemployed Black teachers. Some traveled thousands of miles to live with relatives, friends, or even strangers. Some didn't go to school at all. But many stood up and became young activists, fighting for one of the rights America claims belongs to all: the right to learn. Revelatory and timely, noted nonfiction author and former educator P. O'Connell Pearson shines a light on this disturbing and important chapter of America's history, with ripple effects that still impact the country to this day"--

Book Synopsis

This "detailed, fascinating" (Booklist, starred review) nonfiction middle grade book explores a deeply troubling chapter in American history that is still playing out today: the strange case of Prince Edward County, Virginia, the only place in the United States to ever formally deny its citizens a public education, and the students who pushed back.

In 1954, after the passing of Brown v. the Board of Education, the all-White school board of one county in south central Virginia made the decision to close its public schools rather than integrate. Those schools stayed closed for five years.

While the affluent White population of Prince Edward County built a private school--for White children only--Black children and their families had to find other ways to learn. Some Black children were home schooled by unemployed Black teachers. Some traveled thousands of miles away to live with relatives, friends, or even strangers. Some didn't go to school at all.

But many stood up and became young activists, fighting for one of the rights America claims belongs to all: the right to learn.

Review Quotes

★ "A detailed, fascinating account of a little-known chapter in American history."--Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

"[An] essential work..."--Publishers Weekly

"A sobering study of the struggle for educational equity."--Kirkus Reviews

"Highly recommended for middle school collections."--School Library Journal

* In 1951, 16-year-old Barbara Johns spoke out against the overcrowded, underfunded, grossly inadequate high school that she and other Black students attended in Prince Edward County, Virginia. The students' peaceful walkout shook up the community and provoked a fierce backlash, but it led to one of five lawsuits combined into the Brown v. Board of Education case, decided by the Supreme Court in 1954. Later, ordered to desegregate Prince Edward County's schools, state and local officials vowed "massive resistance" and shut down the county's public education system from 1959 to 1964. White, well-to-do residents built a private school for their kids and provided tax-payer-supported vouchers for certain other white children while locking all other students out of their classrooms for five years. A former history teacher and the author of

Fighting for the Forest (2019) and Fly Girls (2019), Pearson begins with a useful preliminary chapter on Virginia history from 1607 to 1950, emphasizing attitudes toward Black people. The main text focuses on events in Prince Edward County during the tumultuous 1950s, 1960s, and beyond, showing how the lack of schooling impacted certain individuals and describing changes in the county through 2021. Illustrated mainly with black-and-white photos, here's a detailed, fascinating account of a little-known chapter in American history.--Booklist, STARRED Review "11/01/2022"

About the Author

P. O'Connell Pearson has always taught history--first in the high school classroom and then as a curriculum writer and editor across grade levels. Ready to share her enthusiasm for stories of the past in a new way, she earned an MFA in writing for young people from Lesley University and now writes narrative nonfiction for ages ten and up. Her books have received recognition from Bank Street, NCSS, the New-York Historical Society, Arizona Library Association, and more. When Pearson is not writing about history, she can often be found talking about history as a volunteer with the National Park Service in Washington, DC.