Local Events

Authors Larry Roeder and Barry Harrelson will lead a discussion of their new book “Dirt Don’t Burn”, a captivating account of overcoming the cultural and legal hurdles during Segregation in the Loudoun County community. The program will be followed by a Q&A.

Below is a description of the book, by Georgetown University Press:

Dirt Don’t Burn describes how Loudoun County, Virginia, which once denied educational opportunity to Black Americans, gradually increased the equality of education for all children in the area. The book includes powerful stories of the largely unknown individuals and organizations that brought change to enduring habits of exclusion and prejudice toward African Americans.

Dirt Don’t Burn sheds new light on the history of segregation and inequity in American history. It provides new historical details and insights into African American experiences based on original research through thousands of previously lost records, archival NAACP files, and records of educational philanthropies. This book will appeal to readers interested in American history, African American history, and regional history, as well as educational policy and social justice.