My mother came down from the mountains of West Virginia after finishing the ninth grade. Where she lived, Black children could go no further in school. But Mama wanted an education, and she was determined to get one.

So she came to Charleston, the capital city of West Virginia, hoping to continue her education. She stayed at the Mattie V. Lee Home, a Christian home for young women. Soon she found employment with a well-to-do Black family. In exchange for helping to clean their home and care for their five…