Mama's Boy, Preacher's Son : A Memoir of Growing Up, Coming Out, and Changing America's Schools

By age six, Kevin Jennings knew he was going straight to hell. His father, an evangelist preacher, as much as told him so. During the 1960s, Kevin's family moved from one trailer park in the South to another as his dad fought to hold on to a pulpit. Then, on Kevin's eighth birthday, his father suffered a fatal heart attack as Kevin stood, helpless, at his side. When he cried at the funeral, Kevin's older brothers admonished him, "Don't be a faggot." The warning was a key lesson. In school, "faggot" became more familiar to Kevin than his own name. Nobody watching the regular torture of Kevin's schooldays could have anticipated that he would ever want to return to the classroom.Kevin's father may have preached damnation, but his mother showed him the road to salvation. Forced to drop out of school at the age of nine, Alice Verna Johnson Jennings fervently believed in the power education held for her children. While working a series of blue-collar jobs to support her family, she struggled with her conservative Appalachian roots when her oldest son married a black woman and her youngest came out. Alice's story is powerful account of a woman's triumph over huge obstacles, including her own prejudices.When he earned a scholarship to Harvard, Kevin finally found acceptance. His decision to become a teacher, however, forced him back into the closet. In the classroom, reliving the anguish of school bigotry, Kevin realized his true vocation. When his students rallied to his defense-and thereby to their own-Kevin worked with them to form the first gay/straight alliance, and he went on to found GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Educational Network, now a national education organization with a presence in all fifty states. Growing Up Poor In The South, Kevin Jennings Learned A Lot Of Things, Especially About How To Be A Real Man. When His Father, A Fundamentalist Preacher, Dropped Dead At His Sons Eighth Birthday Party, Kevin Already Knew He Wasnt Supposed To Cry. He Also Knew There Was No Salvation For Homosexuals, Who Werent Real Men--or Christians, For That Matter. But Jennings Found His Salvation In School, Inspired By His Mother. Self-taught, From Appalachia, Her Formal Education Had Ended In Sixth Grade, But She Was Determined That Her Son Would Be The First Member Of Their Extended Family To Go To College, Even If It Meant Going North. Kevin, Propelled By Her Dream, Found A World Beyond Poverty. He Earned A Scholarship To Harvard And There Learned Not Only About History And Literature, But Also That It Was Possible To Live Openly As A Gay Man. But When Jennings Discovered His Vocation As A Teacher And Returned To High School To Teach, He Was Forced Back Into The Closet. He Saw Countless Teachers And Students Struggling With Their Sexual Orientation And Desperately Trying To Hide Their Identity. For Jennings, Coming Out The Second Time Was More Complicated And Much More Important Than The First--because This Time He Was Leading A Movement For Justice. This Book Is A Memoir That Is Both A Riveting Personal Story And An Inside Account Of A Critical Chapter In Our Recent History. Creating Safe Schools For Teenagers Is Now A Central Part Of The Progressive Agenda In American Education. Deathbeds Are Waiting -- Happy Birthday To Me -- The Road To Salvation, Part One -- The Road To Salvation, Part Two -- Tests Of Allegiance -- Getting Out -- Harvard Boy -- Going Back In -- Out For Good -- Getting Organized -- Making History -- Going National -- Going Home -- Alpha And Omega. Kevin Jennings. Growing up poor in the South, Kevin Jennings learned a lot of things, especially about how to be a real man. When his father, a fundamentalist preacher, dropped dead at his son's eighth birthday party, Kevin already knew he wasn't supposed to cry. He also knew there was no salvation for homosexuals, who weren't "real men"or Christians, for that matter. But Jennings found his salvation in school, inspired by his mother. Self-taught, from Appalachia, her formal education had ended in sixth grade, but she was determined that her son would be the first member of their extended family to go to college, even if it meant going North. Kevin, propelled by her dream, found a world beyond poverty. He earned a scholarship to Harvard and there learned not only about history and literature, but also that it was possible to live openly as a gay man. But when Jennings discovered his vocation as a teacher and returned to high school to teach, he was forced back into the closet. He saw countless teachers and students struggling with their sexual orientation and desperately trying to hide their identity. For Jennings, coming out the second time was more complicated and much more important than the firstbecause this time he was leading a movement for justice. 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 teenagers is now a central part of the progressive agenda in American education. Like Paul Monette's landmark Becoming a Man , Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina , and Rick Bragg's All Over but the Shoutin' , Kevin Jennings's poignant, razor-sharp memoir will change the way we see our contemporary world. 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 . From the Trade Paperback edition. Long before Kevin Jennings began advocating to end anti-GLBT 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 school days in the conservative South, where "faggot" became more familiar to him than his own name. 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. Kevin Jennings is the founder and executive director of GLSEN, a national education organization working to make schools places where young people learn to value and respect everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. He lives in New York with his partner, Jeff Davis. --From publisher description