Introduction

Two families that produced extraordinary children without the aid of expensive tutors, but with the aid of gutsey parenting. Let me introduce you to two families who come from the humblest of circumstances, american poverty. We begin with leonard pitts junior, who once described mother this way, she was not a learned woman. But then it's hard to be learned when you grow up black in depression era mississippi. Still, not being learned is not the same as not being smart. With that in mind, picture this forty six year old son sitting down at his computer in two thousand four typing the following words.