About the Author

Ollie Marshall-Rico, the seventh of sixteen children, was raised in Springfield, Arkansas, in the small community of Union Chapel. She is a retired educator from the Newark Public School System, where she dedicated years to shaping young minds. As a former VISTA volunteer, she worked alongside others to help create Newark’s first Rent Control Bill, demonstrating her lifelong commitment to economic justice. A lifetime member of the NAACP and an active community activist, Marshall-Rico believes the church and community must remain deeply connected. She currently resides on the East Coast with her husband.