Now Is Your Time: The African American Struggle for Freedom

Title: Now Is Your Time: The African American Struggle for Freedom
1992 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Published: 1991
Interesting Facts: (1) "Since no one had to hire a black person, whites...could refuse...jobs to young blacks; the law would declare them wards of the state and force them to apprentice for their former masters..." Black Codes "gave former owners of Africans the right to reclaim them as slaves" (pg. 197). (2) "...racism was not about white people liking or not liking black people. It was about controlling the economies of the country by keeping blacks dependent on whites." (3) As a writer for a newspaper called the New York Age, Ida Wells, "...delivered the message that black men and black women were as deserving of justice as whites" (pg. 213). Ida Wells, "did more to curtail the practice of lynching than any other person" (pg. 214). (4) Psychologist Dr. Kenneth B. Clark debunked the notion of separate but equal when he conducted a doll test which provided clear evidence that "African American children did not just feel separated from white children, they felt that the separation was based on their inferiority...Brown vs. Board of Education showed that children who felt inferior also performed poorly" (pg. 256-257). (5) The nature of the fight for democracy changed over time. Nat Turner organized revolts against his enslavers; the 54th fought in the Civil War; Ida B. Wells organized protest by publishing stories in newspapers; Lewis H. Latimer tried earn his way to equality by the works of his inventions; Brown vs. Board of Education ushered in a legal battle for equality (pg. 258).
Curriculum/Pathfinder Suggestion: National US History Standards, Grades 3-4, Standard 8C:
Explain the significance of the printing press, the computer, and electronic developments in communication, and describe their impact on the spread of ideas

The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963

Title: The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963
1996 Newbery Honor Book
Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Published: 1995
Plot Summary: This historical novel is based on the Birmingham Church bombing which resulted in the deaths of four African American girls. In this novel, 10 year old Kenny light heartedly describes his family's trip to a turbulent South during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Kenny is jarred by the events that take place in Birmingham. Kenny's brother Byron, his sibling rival, consoles Kenny and helps ease Kenny out of his troubled state.
Main Characters: Kenny, Byron, Wilona, Joetta, Daniel
Theme(s): the family as a shield against racism and discrimination
Reader's Response: Readers reflect on the ways in which people deal with trauma and how they acknowledge and manage their emotions during tough times.
Teaching Idea: Students create a photo gallery of pivotal moments during the 1960s civil rights movement. Students use voice over to provide commentary for each photo.
Grade Level: 6 - 8
Reading Level (Lexile): 1000

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Title: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
1977 Newbery Winner
Author: Mildred D. Taylor
Published: 1976
Plot Summary: An African American family living in Mississippi during the Depression era is terrorized by racism and poverty. 9 year old Cassie tries to make sense of the violence of the KKK that she and her family endure. Ultimately, her family survives in tact and maintains their land.
Main Characters: Cassie Logan, The Logan Family, TJ, Miz Lillian Jean, Mr. Morrison
Theme(s): the survival of the family despite terrible circumstances
Reader Response: Through an examination of race relations, readers will explore the rights of citizens and citizen responsibility in combating injustice.
Teaching Idea: Students form groups and role play scenarios where they resolve and negotiate conflict caused by an injustice. Students discuss the perceived injustice and how they felt as the perpetrators and/or the victims.
Grade Level: Gr. 4 - 7
Reading Level (Lexile): 960