| Let us march on! : James Weldon Johnson and the silent protest parade Author: Williams, Yohuru | ||
| Price: $23.78 | ||
Summary:
A moving and inspiring nonfiction picture book about James Weldon Johnson and the first mass all-Black march for civil rights in the United States when 10,000 Black protestors, including children, marched down New York's Fifth Avenue in 1917.
| Added Entry - Personal Name: | Long, Michael G |
| Illustrator: | Gordon, Xia |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (04/01/24)
Booklist (02/15/24)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 02/15/2024 Most people familiar with the name James Weldon Johnson associate him with “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a poem he wrote in 1900, which became a hymn and is often called “the Black national anthem.” Johnson was a highly respected lawyer, teacher, and writer. When he spoke, “people listened.” Addressing a crowd in the aftermath of troubling violence, he proposed that the Black community respond with a silent protest march down the biggest street in the largest city in America. Ten thousand adults and children marched in silence, carrying signs expressing their views, such as “Make America Safe for Democracy.” Sponsored by the NAACP, the march brought attention to their cause. An author’s note explains the motivations for this “Silent Protest Parade,” which took place in New York City in 1917 and called for an end to widespread racial violence such as the East St. Louis massacre the previous month and, more broadly, individual acts of terrorism that had gone unchecked for years. Gordon’s handsome digital artwork illustrates the story with dignity in this expressive picture book. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.



