
Written by Gloria Respress-Churchwell · Illustrated by Laura Freeman
A groundbreaking football game challenges racial barriers in 1947 America.
In 1947, Chester Pierce breaks racial barriers as the first Black college football player to compete in the South. Facing Jim Crow laws, his presence on the field forces the opposing team to bench a player of equal talent. This historical fiction captures a pivotal moment in civil rights, using the metaphor of a football play to explore race relations and teamwork. Will Chester's courage on the field inspire change beyond the game?
A little known civil rights hero and college football MVP finally gets a voice in this fictional account detailing Chester Pierce’s game-changing play as he became the first black college football player to compete south of the Mason-Dixon Line. In 1947, no African American player can play at a southern school; in return, the opposing team benches a player of “equal talent.” This historical fiction picture book frames a turbulent time in the civil rights era with the clever use of a football play to show race relations and teamwork. Inspired by a true story, capturing a historic defense against the Jim Crow laws of the South.
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