Carroll teacher wins Emmy for video on the grandson of a slave who learned to read at 98
A journalism and social studies teacher at George Dawson Middle School in Southlake never expected to win a Lone Star Emmy for his video about the school’s namesake, the grandson of a slave who didn’t learn to read and write until he was 98.
Joshua Ault, who teaches seventh-grade journalism at George Dawson Middle School in the Carroll School district, was recognized Saturday at an awards ceremony in Dallas for his video, “George Dawson’s Legacy.”
Ault, a former KXAS Channel 5 reporter, said he was fascinated with Dawson, and wanted to make a video about his “amazing life.”
Ault began teaching in the Carroll school district three years ago, and said he read the book “Life Is So Good,” co-written by Dawson and Richard Glaubman, before he was hired.
“It blew me away. It’s an amazing story of the life of a man who never had an opportunity to go to school because of segregation, and his family needed him to work,” he said.
Ault said the video also featured interviews with Dawson’s great grandson, Chris Irvin, who talked about how grateful he was to have spent time with his great grandfather.
“As short as he was in height, he was still tall and mighty in the eyes of some of the gangsters on the block,” Irvin said of Dawson.
Ault also interviewed Glaubman, a Seattle school teacher who heard about Dawson and went to Dallas to meet him. Glaubman and Dawson became close friends. Glaubman described accompanying Dawson to church and interviewing him about his life.
Ault went to Seattle last spring to meet Glaubman and created the video using the equipment that his middle school students also use.
“It was such an important story. People who knew him won’t be around for that much longer,” Ault said.
“Life is So Good” tells the story of George Dawson, who was the grandson of a slave. In the first chapter, Dawson described witnessing the lynching of his friend who was accused of raping a white woman.
The book also chronicles Dawson’s life as he left the family farm in Marshal to find work and support his family. He broke horses and built levies on the Mississippi River.
Dawson also rode the rails to see the country and also described how he learned to read when he was 98.
Earlier this year, concerns were raised about content in one of the chapters and how it wasn’t age-appropriate for some students.
Superintendent Lane Ledbetter wrote in a statement that the book was never banned or placed under “reconsideration.”
Ledbetter wrote that the review committee determined that the book can be used with “teacher-led instruction in a few sections of the book to facilitate the delivery of sensitive content and still convey the author’s message.”
Ault declined to discuss the controversy surrounding the chapter, but said, “I’m just grateful that the school provided the opportunity to use the book in the classroom.”
Meanwhile, Ault said he hopes his video will encourage others and show that it is never too late to learn.
“We are so lucky to have this person. I felt like this story needed to be told.”