DR. DAWSON BARRETT is associate professor of US History at Del Mar College in Texas.

He is the author of THE DEFIANT: Protest Movements in Post-Liberal America (New York University Press, 2018) and TEENAGE REBELS: Successful High School Activists from the Little Rock Nine to the Class of Tomorrow (Microcosm Publishing, 2015).

He is the co-author, with Jonathan Wright, of the award-winning PUNKS IN PEORIA: Making a Scene in the American Heartland (University of Illinois Press, 2021).

He is the author/editor of the award-winning digital history resource “SOUTH TEXAS RABBLE ROUSERS: A Primary Source History of Protest & Struggle” (CUNY/Manifold, 2025).

PUNKS IN PEORIA

2022 Illinois State Historical Society Book of the Year

“Among the best examples I’ve encountered of a book using scholarly methodologies that’s hugely accessible to any interested reader. Indeed, this text should be seen as a gold standard for academic writers who want to reach the public.”

THE DEFIANT

“An important book for our times. The Defiant reads like a continuation of Howard Zinn’s A Peoples History of the United States, picking up where Zinn left off.”

TEENAGE REBELS

“With this book as an introduction, any high schooler could begin to imagine a school where they could stand up and fight for themselves.”

SOUTH TEXAS RABBLE ROUSERS

2026 American Association for State and Local History Award of Excellence

“This range of source types and context makes these perfect sets for use in high school, dual credit, or college classes, especially those looking to incorporate local history examples for students.”