A Look at Our Black History 3-5 Library

Born a slave in Maryland, Harriet Tubman knew first-hand what it meant to be someone's property; she was whipped by owners and almost killed by an overseer. It was from other field hands that she first heard about the Underground Railroad, which she travelled by herself north to Philadelphia. Throughout her long life, and long after the Civil War brought an end to slavery, this amazing woman was proof of what just one person can do.

In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. This seemingly small act triggered civil rights protests across America and earned Rosa Parks the title "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." This biography has black-and-white illustrations throughout.

On August 28, 1963, more than 200,000 people gathered in Washington, DC, to demand equal rights for all races. It was there that Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech, and it was this peaceful protest that spurred the momentous civil rights laws of the mid-1960s. With black-and-white artwork throughout and sixteen pages of photographs, the March is brought to life!

In this installment of the critically acclaimed Big Words series, Doreen Rappaport captures Frederick Douglass' journey from boy to man, from slavery to freedom, by weaving Frederick's powerful words with her own. London Ladd's strong and evocative illustrations combine with the text to create this emotive portrait of an extraordinary life.

A powerful look at the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation’s history. The book traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa’s Greenwood district—also known as Black Wall Street—and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921, when a white mob attacked the prosperous Black community. This picture book sensitively introduces young readers to this tragedy and concludes with a call for a better future.