And We Rise
| Modern Age |
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 And We Rise: The Civil Rights Movement in Poems
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American History > Modern Age > African American History> Civil Rights
A powerful, impactful, eye-opening journey that explores through the Civil Rights Movement in 1950s-1960s America in spare and evocative verse, with historical photos interspersed throughout.
In stunning verse and vivid use of white space, Erica Martin's debut poetry collection walks readers through the Civil Rights Movement—from the well-documented events that shaped the nation’s treatment of Black people, beginning with the "Separate but Equal" ruling—and introduces lesser-known figures and moments that were just as crucial to the Movement and our nation's centuries-long fight for justice and equality.
A poignant, powerful, all-too-timely collection that is both a vital history lesson and much-needed conversation starter in our modern world. Complete with historical photographs, author's note, chronology of events, research, and sources.
Emily's Review
This is such a powerful book. I've read quite a bit about the Civil Rights movement over the many years I've homeschooled my children, but I was today years old when I learned about Claudette Colvin, who refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person before Rosa Parks did. What this book does, in such a powerful and elegant way, is to strip away the whitewashing that often accompanies the Civil Rights Era when it is taught in schools. We rarely get even a glimpse of how utterly ugly that period actually was. It is gut-wrenching to read, but so important that we do. The poems are haunting and honest.
In today's climate of fear of real history, books like this are so important. Martin's poetry paints a vivid picture of a period of time that really wasn't that long ago. This book of poetry makes it not only accessible to teens, but will hopefully inspire them to dig deeper and learn more. The author includes a bibliography in the back as well as a timeline, making it easy to find more reading on this subject matter.
This book should be included in every teen's study of the Civil Rights Era.
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