A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit

“Rooks tells Bethune’s story in detailed, yet mostly accessible prose …  A gripping picture of the treacherous waters Bethune navigated and all she accomplished against the most unforgiving terrain. This work deserves the broadest possible audience.” –The Emancipator  “Rooks restores [Mary McLeod Bethune] to the canon of fierce Black freedom fighters… . Rooks’ redefining biography is essential reading.” —Booklist (starred review)“A layered portrait of a roving mind that pushed constantly against bounded systems… . A rewarding window onto the nuanced political thinking of the early civil rights movement.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Pays tribute to a beloved foremother and celebrates Bethune’s commitment to ‘stand up and fight for change.’ A fine introduction to Bethune’s philosophy, as well as a thoughtful primer for today’s activists.” —Kirkus“Professor Noliwe Rooks draws on her command of historical events, her lived experiences as a Black woman, and her gift as a storyteller to give us this priceless written portrait of the life, the work, and the legacy of an American shero, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune.” —Johnnetta Betsch Cole, seventh president and chair of the board of the NCNW, president emerita of Spelman and Bennett colleges“In reflecting on Mary McLeod Bethune’s life and on her own, Noliwe Rooks offers a tribute to an inspiring leader and a meditation on race and history.” —Drew Faust, Arthur Kingsley Porter University Research Professor, Harvard University   “Noliwe Rooks’s exceptional storytelling and impeccable research skills elevate this book to the pinnacle of works about Mary McLeod Bethune. It transcends historical narrative; it challenges us to reevaluate our understanding of Bethune’s contributions and the lessons they offer us now.  Interwoven with the story of Bethune’s indomitable spirit for advancing Black life is Rooks’s own family history, rooted in Florida like Bethune and shaped by her legacy. Learning about Bethune through Rooks’s lens is both a privilege and an honor for educators and readers alike.” —Bettina L. Love, William F. Russell Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University, and author of Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal“In the skillful hands of Noliwe Rooks, this remarkable life story of a crucial figure in American history becomes something more: a mesmerizing personal meditation on racial justice, political power, and the yearning for a home.” —Paul Tough, author of The Inequality Machine and How Children Succeed

Noliwe Rooks is the chair of and a professor in Africana Studies at Brown University. Her work explores how race and gender both impact and are impacted by popular culture, social history, and political life in the United States. The author of four books and numerous articles, essays, and op-eds, Rooks has received research funding from the Ford Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, among other organizations. She lectures frequently at colleges and universities around the country and is a regular contributor to popular outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Time, and NPR.