The chaos and courage of protesting are brought to life in Keep on a-Walkin', the true story of Kimberly Burwell who joins her mother to resist toxic dumping in their Warren County, North Carolina community. Told from Kim's perspective, Keep on a-Walkin' is a civil rights story that raises children's awareness of the intertwined environmental injustices of racism and pollution.
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A Case for the Mother of the Environmental Justice Movement: Dollie Burwell
by Brooks Berndt | published on Sep 20, 2017

While any social movement owes its existence and power to countless persons, there are those who play pivotal roles in a movement’s inception and development. If one person were to be named “the mother of the environmental justice movement,” a persuasive case could be made for Dollie Burwell. In 1978, Burwell teamed up with Debra and Ken Ferruccio to organize community meetings for local residents concerned about the possibility of PCB-contaminated soil being dumped in Warren County, North Carolina. Burwell played numerous influential roles over the course of the coming years as the environmental justice movement came into existence, and one of those roles was to involve faith communities.

Burwell was a veteran of the civil rights movement and served on the board of directors for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. As community meetings became impassioned, she saw the need for the active participation of churches in organizing nonviolent protests. Meetings were moved from the local courthouse to Coley Springs Baptist Church. Burwell herself was a member of a UCC church. When it came time to organize marches, Burwell asked her pastor the Rev. Leon White to come and offer guidance. At the time, White also served as the regional field director for the UCC Commission for Racial Justice.

In opposition to the first shipment of toxic waste into a predominantly black and low-income community, over 125 persons gathered at Coley Springs Baptist Church to march to the dump site. Some protestors then sat in the road to block the trucks as 60 police officers responded in full riot gear. Burwell and White were both among those initially arrested, while the Rev. Donald Jarboe was injured after being hit by a truck. On the next day, Burwell invited the Rev. Benjamin Chavis, Jr., to lead the protests. Chavis was a UCC minister who was widely known as a former political prisoner in the Wilmington Ten case. Ultimately, the protests would grow and last six weeks as over 500 persons were arrested.

Despite the involvement of high profile clergy, if one asks Burwell today about the significant roles and contributions of faith leaders to the movement, the first person she names is her own mother. About her mother, Burwell recalls, “She often told me, ‘Dollie Ann, God wants you to DO JUSTICE and that means you got to always stand up for what is right, even if you have to stand alone.'”

In the unfolding of the movement, Burwell’s own role as a mother to two young daughters was also crucial. Her eight-year-old daughter Kimberly insisted on going to the march on the first day. After watching her mother’s arrest, Kimberly herself was arrested and detained. Notably, by the end of the protests, ninety-four juveniles were arrested. A key moment for the movement as it broke into the awareness and conscience of the nation occurred the first day of protests when Kimberly was interviewed by Dan Rather and appeared on national television news.

Ultimately, even Burwell’s two-year-old daughter Mia found a role to play in the protests as she handed out drinks and snacks to marchers. In reflecting back, Burwell now observes, “The Washington Post cited the Warren County Environmental Justice Movement as the largest Civil Rights Movement since the 1960s. I believe that was in part because of the role children played in the demonstrations.” As the history of the movement continues to be written, a strong argument can be made for the central significance of these children and Burwell herself in the launching of a movement whose impact continues to reverberate today.
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The Warren Record: New children’s book chronicles the 10-year-old girl who helped spark the environmental justice movement
Oct 14, 2026 Updated Oct 14, 2026


Nearly 50 years ago, a 10-year-old girl named Kimberly Burwell skipped school to protest what she saw as a profound injustice in her community. Her courageous actions helped inspire what would become the nationwide environmental justice movement. That powerful true story is now being brought to a new generation in a picture book titled “Keep On A-Walkin’: Kimberly Burwell Stands Up for Environmental Justice,” released on Oct. 15 through The Pilgrim Press.

The story traces back to a historic turning point when toxic, chemical-contaminated soil was illegally dumped across over 200 miles of highway shoulders. Rather than cleaning up the waste responsibly, state officials decided to move the hazardous soil into a small, economically disadvantaged, predominantly Black rural community. Recognizing the unfairness, 10-year-old Kimberly refused to stay silent. She skipped school and stood her ground alongside adult protesters until she was taken into custody by police.

"Young people need to know that their voices carry weight and that age is never a barrier to standing up for what is right," said co-author Dollie Burwell, Kimberly’s mother and a legendary activist widely recognized as the "Mother of Environmental Justice." "We wrote this book so children could see themselves in Kimberly and understand that children have a powerful voice for justice."

Co-authored alongside Cathy Sheafor—a former environmental attorney, educator, and former director of Environmental Justice for the U.S. Department of Justice—the book serves as an accessible, age-appropriate introduction to environmental justice. It defines the movement's mission: ensuring that environmental hazards and safety protections are distributed fairly across all neighborhoods regardless of race or income.

"Thirty years ago at the Department of Justice, I saw firsthand how vital this work is," added Sheafor. "Bringing Dollie and Kimberly's story to young readers bridges civil rights history with modern environmental literacy in a way that empowers the next generation."

The release also highlights North Carolina's landmark role in civil rights and environmental activism. Readers seeking deeper context can view the award-winning short documentary “Our Movement Starts Here,” currently streaming on PBS NC, which delves into the region's pivotal role in the movement's origins.

Keep On A-Walkin’: Kimberly Burwell Stands Up for Environmental Justice is available at The Pilgrim Press and major booksellers.
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