Not long ago, public libraries in Virginia were not so public. It would take the courage of a young African-American woman, Josie C. Murray, to challenge that.
From a young age, Josie felt the supreme injustice of the Jim Crow South—ordering ice cream inside a restaurant and continuing her education beyond the seventh grade were opportunities denied to Josie during her childhood. Josie was surrounded by closed doors, barred from opportunities available to white people. But in 1957, when she was denied the ability to check out a book from the Purcellville Library because of the color of her skin, Josie took action. With the help of her husband, Sam Murray, a lawyer, and even President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Josie built a case and became the catalyst for all public buildings in Virginia to desegregate.
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About the Author
Award-winning writer Linda Harris Sittig was born in New York City, raised in northern New Jersey, and put down her adult roots in Virginia. A bachelor’s in history and a master’s in education led to a teaching career with Fairfax County Schools and the opportunity to be an adjunct professor at Shenandoah University. During her time teaching in Fairfax, the Greater Washington Reading Council selected Linda as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year. The following year, the Virginia State Reading Association honored her. A decade later, the International Reading Association awarded her the Outstanding International Elementary Reading Teacher of the Year medal.
Based on the belief that family literacy leads to lifelong readers, Linda wrote a fifteen-year weekly newspaper column, “Kinderbooks,” reviewing the best in children’s literature. The column ran in multiple newspapers in Washington, DC. Combining her passion for history and strong women, Linda created a blog, www.strongwomeninhistory.com, where she highlights the stories of women who should have become famous.
Linda’s sincere belief that every woman deserves to have her story told shows through her historical novels: Cut from Strong Cloth, Last Curtain Call, and Counting Crows.
Linda Jackson King is the niece of Josie Murray, and collaborated with Linda Sittig on Opening Closed Doors.
About the Illustrator
Whitney Truitt is a freelance children’s book illustrator. She graduated from Christopher Newport University where she earned a bachelor of arts degree. With the use of chalk pastels, her artwork mainly consists of portraits and landscapes created in traditional art style. Her first self-published children’s book, Wisdom of Xingfu, contains a collection of positive affirmations from fortune cookies. The book pulls from Chinese culture and promotes self-love and motivation.
Award-winning writer Linda Harris Sittig was born in New York City, raised in northern New Jersey, and put down her adult roots in Virginia. A bachelor’s in history and a master’s in education led to a teaching career with Fairfax County Schools and the opportunity to be an adjunct professor at Shenandoah University. During her time teaching in Fairfax, the Greater Washington Reading Council selected Linda as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year. The following year, the Virginia State Reading Association honored her. A decade later, the International Reading Association awarded her the Outstanding International Elementary Reading Teacher of the Year medal.
Based on the belief that family literacy leads to lifelong readers, Linda wrote a fifteen-year weekly newspaper column, “Kinderbooks,” reviewing the best in children’s literature. The column ran in multiple newspapers in Washington, DC. Combining her passion for history and strong women, Linda created a blog, www.strongwomeninhistory.com, where she highlights the stories of women who should have become famous.
Linda’s sincere belief that every woman deserves to have her story told shows through her historical novels: Cut from Strong Cloth, Last Curtain Call, and Counting Crows.
Linda Jackson King is the niece of Josie Murray, and collaborated with Linda Sittig on Opening Closed Doors.
About the Illustrator
Whitney Truitt is a freelance children’s book illustrator. She graduated from Christopher Newport University where she earned a bachelor of arts degree. With the use of chalk pastels, her artwork mainly consists of portraits and landscapes created in traditional art style. Her first self-published children’s book, Wisdom of Xingfu, contains a collection of positive affirmations from fortune cookies. The book pulls from Chinese culture and promotes self-love and motivation.
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