Dirt Don't Burn

"Dirt Don't Burn, the result of novel research by the Edwin Washington Project, is the story of how the Black community in Loudoun County, VA fought for public education from the end of the Civil War until the end of segregation in 1968. Over the course of nearly a century, various actors--parents, teachers, white allies, and others--pressed to ensure their children a better future, seeking to improve school facilities, increase access to education, and ensure that children's basic needs were met so that they could fully engage in learning. Enriching the narrative are personal stories, interviews, and analysis of records that were almost burned after having been lost for decades. The book also draws on archival NAACP files and records of educational philanthropies. In telling the story of one community, Dirt Don't Burn sheds new light on the larger history of segregation and equity--or lack thereof--in American education"--