Synergy: Racial Equity in Education

Racial educational equity refers to fairness, inclusion, and equal opportunity in schools. In the United States, many schools were segregated by race until this practice was declared unconstitutional in the 1954. As schools throughout the American South began the process of desegregation, many students found themselves in the middle of local conflicts.

Read the recently published nonfiction children’s book on this topic, then learn more at the websites:

THIS PROMISE OF CHANGE by Jo Ann Allen Boyce and Debbie Levy tells the story of a girl’s fight for school equality. The book begins by providing a context for readers about the time leading up to the summer of 1956. Author Jo Ann Allen was one of a dozen students enrolled at Clinton High School in Tennessee in August of 1956. As the school year began, outsiders joined by locals rioted causing conflict in this small town through the Fall. This middle grade novel weaves together free-verse with primary source documents to immerse readers in this true story of risk and courage. The book concludes with information about the key people and a scrapbook of photos and other resources.

CLINTON DESEGREGATION CRISIS is a web page telling the story of desegregation in the town of Clinton, Tennessee. This short article provides useful background information for youth reading the story of the Clinton Dozen.

BEFORE LITTLE ROCK is a photo gallery from Life Magazine telling the story of mob violence through a set of photographs.

Clinton Desegregation Crisis
https://bit.ly/2ZW4sGG

Before Little Rock
https://bit.ly/3ewEr4E

ARC courtesy of Bloomsbury Children.

Synergy: Gwynn Oak Amusement Park Civil Rights Protest

In the summer of 1963, non-violent protests were held at the Gywnn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore, Maryland to condemn the park’s segregation policy. On August 28, 1963, the park was desegregated and eleven-month-old Sharon Langley was the first African American child to ride the park’s merry-go-around.

Read the recently published picture book and middle grade book on this topic, then learn more by watching the documentary:

A RIDE TO REMEMBER: A CIVIL RIGHTS STORY by Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan tells the story of the Gywnn Oak Amusement Park protests and young Sharon Langley’s experience riding the merry-go-round. This beautifully illustrated picture book concludes with historical information and a timeline.

Amy Nathan also wrote the middle and high school nonfiction text ROUND AND ROUND TOGETHER: TAKING A MERRY-GO-ROUND INTO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

ALL THE KING’S HORSES: THE STORY OF GWYNN OAK AMUSEMENT PARK is a video documentary chronicling the efforts to desegregate the park. Told through eyewitness accounts and personal narrative, the video presents all sides of the issue.

ALL THE KING’S HORSES https://youtu.be/IPRMQH9PxFQ

ARC courtesy of Abrams Books for All Readers.