February is African-American history month. Honoring and writing about the lives and experiences of Blacks in America is enormously important. I'd like to direct your attention to someone you may not have heard of, but who's taken great strides in making contributions to Black history, education and children.

Annie Oneta Plummer, The Dictionary Lady, October 17, 1936 - December 23, 1999. Annie Plummer was truly an everyday hero, someone who saw a need in her community and worked hard to make change. This is her story.

In 1992, Ms. Plummer observed elementary students returning from school empty-handed. Bothered by the sight of school children without books, she shaped her outrage into an idea--perhaps if children had a basic book like a dictionary, their desire to learn would continue to spark. Then she acted on it. Empowered with $50 and a dream, she bought 30 dictionaries. Inscribed in each book was the United Negro College Fund slogan plus her personal message:

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. I challenge you not to waste yours.

By 1995, The Dictionary Lady's project surpassed the goal of a free dictionary for all 4,000 third graders in the county. 17,000 were distributed. Her grassroots effort grew nationwide. A Dictionary Lady foundation opened in 1997 and supports similar organizations in Chicago, Detroit, and San Diego. So far, nearly 33,000 dictionaries have been given away.

The woman behind the books was no stranger to hard times and community organizing. Born in 1936 in Sylvania, Georgia, Ms. Plummer was the fifth of 12 children. She left school to become a mother. Ms. Plummer raised her daughter on her own while working as a housekeeper. Soon after, she became involved in neighborhood advocacy for changes, like getting traffic lights at busy intersections where children cross. In 1978, she returned to school and earned her diploma.

Last year on December 23, we all lost when Ms. Plummer died of cancer. The Dictionary Lady was not a high-ranking official with a lot of resources and power--she was a working mother who gave books to children. In recent years, her educational advocacy also extended to increase diversity training and Black History curricula in public schools.

Her acts of inspiration and community responsibility will thrive while she rests in peace. The Dictionary Lady's daughter has vowed to keep her mother's work alive. On a broader level, Ms. Plummer's activism may impact the whole state of Georgia. The Annie Plummer Act is a bill to foster the teaching of Black History in state schools. Let's hope Georgia will keep her words alive.

"Children need to know that people of all races have made contributions to our society," Plummer said. "That should be integrated into all curriculum every day--not just during Black History month in February."

--Cristina Booker