Follow Chester!

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.

Gloria Respress-Churchwell has an MFA in writing for children from Simmons College and has produced and directed documentaries at the Nashville Film Festival including award-winner The Life of Robert Churchwell: The Jackie Robinson of Journalism and From Sag to Swag: The Power of Dress. She is a co-contributor of the Robert Churchwell Journalism Collection to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Laura Freeman has illustrated more than twenty children's books, including Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, the Nikki & Deja series by Karen English, and Fancy Party Gowns:The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal. Her art can be found on a wide range of products, from dishes to textiles to greeting cards. Laura is originally from New York City and now lives in Atlanta with her husband and two children.