EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 A local author is being celebrated for her children’s book inspired by a historical event here in the borderland. <\/p>\n
Meagan O’Toole Pitts wrote “Carmelita,” which is inspired by the 1917 Bath Riots and Carmelita Torres, a civil rights leader. <\/p>\n
Since the book’s release, O’Toole Pitts has been chosen as a finalist in the 2025 International Latino Book Awards in Oceanside, Calif. <\/p>\n
Speaking to KFOX14\/CBS4 on Wednesday, O’Toole Pitts expressed her surprise and gratitude, saying, “I’m overwhelmed and humbled because this is my first children’s book.” <\/p>\n
“It was the first time I ever applied, and I didn’t know what to expect, and it’s been a whirlwind. I honestly didn’t expect to be a finalist or to win.” <\/p>\n
The book highlights the story of Carmelita Torres, who at 17, protested a discriminatory policy enforced by El Paso’s mayor at the time, who subjected immigrants to dehumanizing chemical showers. <\/p>\n
O’Toole Pitts emphasized the importance of this history, stating, “It was a huge violation of their civil rights. But I felt it was very important, especially to people here in our region.” <\/p>\n
She hopes the story will educate and inspire those in El Paso and Juarez about a local hero. <\/p>\n
“When I found out this history already as a grown woman in her 30s, I felt kind of robbed of my own hero that I could have grown up looking up to. I look up to her now, and she is my personal hero. But I feel like anyone, especially growing up in El Paso, Juarez, should know about her from the get-go, from the beginning of education,” O’Toole Pitts said. <\/p>\n
With a background in journalism and playwriting, O’Toole Pitts added, “She is a civil rights leader who doesn’t really get talked about or celebrated, so I feel like if we go another few generations or another hundred years without talking about her, she’s going to be lost to history.” <\/p>\n
While the winner of the 2025 International Latino Book Awards will be announced during a ceremony on Oct. 25 in California, O’Toole Pitts is set to hold a book signing in Las Cruces at COAS Books on Oct. 18.<\/p>\n
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