A powerful memoir about growing up in trailer parks, coming out at Harvard, and fighting for justice in our schools
Long before Kevin Jennings began advocating to end anti-LGBT bias in schools, he was a victim of it. In Mama’s Boy, Preacher’s Son, Jennings traces the roots of his activism to his elementary school days in the conservative South, where “faggot” became more familiar to him than his own name. Mama’s Boy, Preacher’s Son is that rare memoir that is both a riveting personal story and an inside account of a critical chapter in our recent history. Creating safe schools for all youth is now a central part of the progressive agenda in American education and Kevin Jennings is at the forefront of that fight. Mama’s Boy, Preacher’s Son earned an A- in Entertainment Weekly, was featured in Salon and The Advocate, and was called “a great read” by People.
“Horatio Alger meets Dorothy Allison in this debut memoir about growing up and coming out . . . Generous and illuminating.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Not graphic or preachy, this book belongs in any high school that has students struggling with issues of identity and gender!”
—Terri Lent (AASL), Patrick Henry High School, Ashland, VA
“Jennings, founder of GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Educational Network, recounts his experiences with bigotry, fear, strength and inspiration within his immediate family, among school peers and in society in general. This work is an engaging account of a boy conflicted who goes on to lend vital support to other young people across the country.” —Carla Bauman-Franks (PLA), Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, IN