Writing Toward Justice

Meet Alice Dunnigan, a pioneering Black journalist, who spoke truth to power—and earned the respect of President Harry S. Truman. This inspiring nonfiction book for kids ages 7–10 is from award-winning author Peggy Thomas.

Alice Dunnigan knew all about injustice—she was the daughter of poor Black sharecroppers in Kentucky. But Alice also knew the key to fighting injustice was to speak out.

At 13 years old, she wrote to a Black newspaper asking for a job—and got it! It was only the beginning. After many years of hard work as a teacher, a cleaner, a typist, and a journalist, Alice became the first Black woman in the Capitol Press Corp. But one person was still beyond her grasp, a person who needed to be held accountable: President Truman. Would he keep his promise to support civil rights for Black Americans? By scrimping and saving for a ticket on the president’s cross-country train tour, Alice was able to meet the president and win him over to her cause: justice.

Alice Dunnigan used her words as a moving force, writing America toward justice, a journey beautifully captured by author Peggy Thomas.

“A thoughtful account of Alice Dunnigan (1906–1983), the first Black female journalist to receive Capitol press credentials. Growing up in Kentucky, the daughter of a sharecropper, young Alice railed against injustice such as segregation, but upon realizing that no one could 'care about something they didn’t know was going on', she vowed to fight through the written word. In clear, passionate language, Thomas follows Alice’s journey from child writer to educator to poorly paid but resolute reporter … A timely reminder about the power of words.”—Kirkus Reviews