On Thursday, January 9, author Jacqueline Houtman visited Brookfield East High School to speak to over 100 high school students and staff.

Houtman's visit was in promotion of her book, Troublemaker for Justice, a biography on the life of civil rights leader and social justice activist, Bayard Rustin. Houtman discussed Rustin's life and how he played a key role in the civil rights movement as the organizer of the March on Washington and as a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Following her presentation, Houtman answered questions from students and signed copies of her book.

Houtman is a freelance writer and novelist and received her PhD in Medical Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Troublemaker for Justice was voted a Best Book of 2019 by both School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.

This visit was sponsored by Elmbrook's community partner, Boswell Books. This school year, numerous award-winning authors are scheduled to visit the district as a continuation of our joint initiative to engage students in reading and writing. Click here to see more upcoming author visits.