Today I Met A Rainbow

About the Book

Today I Met A Rainbow is a powerful book about a brave young girl named Patricia “Pat” Turner. It is a true story masterfully told with colorful illustrations depicting the transition from segregation to integration in Hampton Roads, Virginia. At the age of fourteen, Pat finds herself on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. Pat becomes one of the seventeen Black scholars chosen to integrate the all-white public schools in Norfolk, Virginia in the 1950’s. Journey back in time with Pat as she shares the lessons she learned and discovers the beauty in a rainbow.

About the Author

Dr. Patricia “Pat” Turner is the daughter of Master Chief James and Majorie Turner. She attended Thomas Jefferson University and worked as a pediatric nurse from 1977 to 1986. She later earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at Norfolk State University in 1990. She also received her Masters of Science in Education in 1997 at Old Dominion University. She is a scholar and pioneer who helped to integrate Norfolk County Schools in Norfolk, Virginia. She was the first Black student to integrate the eighth grade at Norview Junior High School. She is known locally as one of the “Norfolk 17”. Pat Turner returned to Virginia as a young adult. She became a mathematics teacher at Blair Middle School in the same school system that she helped to integrate (Norfolk City Schools). She retired from teaching in Norfolk City Schools in 2008 as an Alternative Instructional Specialist. In 2008, Old Dominion University bestowed an Honor ary Doctorate Degree in Humane Letters on Patricia “Pat” Turner for her contributions to Civil Rights in America. In 2011, Dr. Turner was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Awards Committee. She currently serves as Director of Oakwood Chapel Academy in Norfolk, Virginia. Today, she travels and speaks around the nation to promote the importance of racial tolerance, especially in education. She will always be regarded as a gifted scholar who excelled in mathematics and science. In her spare time, Dr. Turner enjoys spending time with her family and friends. About the Co-Author Stephanie Stockdale is author of Sidney Visits Australia (2009). She is a graduate of The Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts Degree in Applied Sociology from Old Dominion University. Stockdale was born in Portsmouth, Virginia (Portsmouth Naval Hospital). She resides in Norfolk, Virginia with her daughter Sidney. It is her desire that people remember the unsung heroes who paved the way for future generations. About The Illustrator Joel Kurtz is a graduate of the Art Institute of Houston in Houston, Texas. He holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in Media and Animation. Born in Killeen, Texas (Fort Hood Army Base), Joel resides in San Antonio, Texas. He is the proud father of a beautiful son named Malachi. He appreciates the opportunity to capture this critical time of transition in American history. He hopes that his pictures will help show and teach future generations about the importance of racial tolerance. He skillfully used sharpie pens and watercolors to create the illustrations.