Bio

The daughter of educators, award-winning poet Carole Boston Weatherford began writing in first grade.  Today she is the author of numerous books, including the Carter G. Woodson award winning title, The Sound That Jazz Makes and most recently, Dear Mr. Rosenwald.   Her writing covers such topics as jazz and  photography, as well as the slavery, reconstruction and Jim Crow eras. When she's not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. Coming from a family of educators, she has a passion for rescuing events and figures from obscurity by documenting American history.

When commenting on writing Dear Mr. Rosenwald, Carole remarks, "I wrote Dear Mr. Rosenwald to document the African-American community's investment and involvement in education during the Jim Crow era. Much has been written about Booker T. Washington, but few know of his educational initiatives beyond Tuskegee Institute. A proponent of literacy, Washington urged philanthropist Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears, Roebuck and a member of Tuskegee's board, to provide matching funds to build schools in rural communities in the South. More than 5,000 such schools were erected — 2,500-plus in North Carolina alone. Local communities not only raised funds for the school buildings but also provided sweat equity. The schools are a testament to the value that African-Americans placed on education. With limited resources, Rosenwald schools provided educational opportunities for generations of African Americans."

She is currently an Associate Professor of English at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.  For more information, you may also visit Carole Boston Weatherford's website