Keep on a-Walkin' | Kimberly Burwell Stands Up for Environmental Justice

Coming this fall! Marching for the Environment Keep on a-Walkin' is the true story of 10-year-old Kimberly Burwell who joined her mother at protests against toxic dumping in their North Carolina community in 1982. Kimberly's voice was carried nationwide after a reporter's interview with her aired on the CBS evening news with Dan Rather. The protests in Warren County, North Carolina, were early efforts of the environmental justice movement, following 4 years of illegal dumping by a manufacturing company and the subsequent decision by North Carolina to bury the carcinogenic waste in Warren County. The nonviolent marches drew multiracial and intergenerational participation. Kimberly's story personalizes environmental justice for young readers and demonstrates the multifaceted strategy essential to activism. Deftly and dramatically illustrated, Keep on a-Walkin' spotlights a significant event in civil rights history, connecting it to prior decades of protests for equal rights, and making an impact still today on environmental advocacy. Kimberly Burwell An activist and caregiver, Kimberly was passionate about more than the environment. When she was 13, Kimberly spent her entire summer helping other children at a camp program hosted at the Franklinton Center. By the time she graduated from high school, Kimberly had received multiple awards for community service. As she said in a 1995 interview, "I actually started in the movement when I was like two. ... My mom actually had me in the stroller marching for [the Rev. Dr. Ben Chavis] and the Wilmington 10. So it's been in me ever since the beginning." Diagnosed with kidney failure as an adult, Kimberly never stopped standing up and marching. The weekend before her death, she drove a small group of adults to Washington, DC, to the March for Jobs & Justice. Standing Up for Justice Like Kimberly, Keep on a-Walkin' sets an example for young people who want to march and sing and protest against injustice. Keep on a-Walkin' includes as backmatter: how to become an activist; brief history of protest songs; examples of places experiencing environmental injustice; and personal notes from Dollie Burwell and Cathy Sheafor. Keep on a-Walkin' is a civil rights story that raises children's awareness of the intertwined injustices of racism and pollution. About the Authors Dollie B. Burwell was arrested for lying down in front of PCB-carrying trucks that were dumping toxins in her North Carolina community. Her daughter, the late Kimberly Burwell, protested with her. Considered the mother of the environmental justice movement, Dollie currently serves as Vice Chair of the Warren County Environmental Action Team. Cathy Sheafor is a former environmental attorney and educator, a TA/Fellow for The Writing Barn, and a passionate entrepreneur. A cancer survivor, Cathy writes children's books about being, believing, and becoming. About the Artist Safier Hudson is an illustrator and designer from Lansing, Michigan, with a BFA in illustration. Paperback, 36 pages 978-0-8298-0220-7 October 1, 2026 Bulk Discount Purchase 5+ of the following 15 children's books and receive a 25% discount by entering the code "Bundle for Kids" at checkout. The Christmas Cat God Is God Loves You My Heart Sings a Sad Song Picture the Bible The Salamander at the Manger Sammie's Flat Dog Slug and Snail Search for Home Slug and Snail Search for Love Slug and Snail Search for Peace The Story of a Pumpkin Pie Such a Busy Sunday The Unicorn at the Manger Water Bugs and Dragonflies (Anniversary Edition) Worship from A to Z: A UCC Coloring Book