A new essay contest centered around the book “Dirt Don’t Burn,” which was written to emphasize how segregation has historically affected the Loudoun County school system, is starting this year. The contest is held by the Edwin Washington Society, an organization that helped with the research of “Dirt Don’t Burn,” and is open to all Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) students grades eight through twelve.
The Edwin Washington Project was started after LCPS saved thousands of records, dating all the way back from 1864, from going unread in the basements of historically black schools. Larry Roeder, a historian and the CEO of The Edwin Washington Project, was tasked with documenting the saved records, which he later used as a resource to co-author the book with Berry Harrelson.
“This book is really a cause,” Harrelson said at an author talk with Loudoun Museum. “It’s more than just the local history of Loudoun; it’s a border history that applies throughout the country and we are dealing with issues today.”
2025 is the inaugural year for the essay contest. The contest asks students to write an essay associated with at least one of the chapters from Roeder and Harrelson’s book.
“As to what students should think about [while reading “Dirt Don’t Burn”], if you read the book, you will notice a plethora of topics, but we also provide a deep appreciation for the bravery and tenacity of the Black population for equal education,” Roeder said.
During most history classes, when students learn about topics like the effects of Brown v. Board of Education and segregation in schools, the focus is usually on the broader impact of the event as a whole. This contest gives students an opportunity to focus and reflect on how segregation affected LCPS students’ local community.
“By studying history such as what happened to Blacks in Loudoun, we learn about the danger of hate, how hate and ignorance led to slavery, the segregated era, and many other problems of today,” Roeder said. “By studying the determination of Blacks to acquire equality during segregation, we learn about a wonderful people’s legacy but also how to resist hate in constructive ways. I am very humbled by the Black community of Loudoun. They are a great people.”
Students will not only learn about historical events in their communities through this contest; they also have the opportunity to win awards. The Edwin Washington Society and the Loudoun Douglass Alumni Association are offering a $1000 prize for the top essay winner and a $400 prize for the runner up. Additionally, the top four essays will be published in the Bulletin of Loudoun County History.
“This is a great opportunity to learn about local history and make some money at the same time,” Roeder wrote in a comment on a Loudoun Now article.
All essays must include a cover page with the name of the author and a brief biography mentioning something about the submitting student’s ambitions. Submissions must be sent to [email protected] by April 1, 2025.
