Let the Children March

Many have studied how in 1963 African Americans marched to gain equality, especially in southern towns, like Birmingham, Alabama. But I never knew that the first main march involved thousands of children and teens who marched so their parents wouldn’t lose their jobs. These brave youth found the courage to face their fears and the hatred of whites who fought to keep them separate and unequal. Their protest march encouraged adults to join them. Hateful efforts to stop the march were broadcast across the country, ultimately changing the direction of the civil rights movement. Bold pictures show everyday children and… show more.

Beautifully written and illustrated, this book portrays the story and the outcome of thousands of African American children who volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. I think it will be inspiring to children to find out that kids their own age were so brave and were able to make a significant impact on our history.

This beautifully illustrated book tells the compelling story of the 1963 Birmingham children's marches when teens and children put their bodies on the line to fight for civil rights. It opens with a child narrator listing things Blacks were forbidden to do, from attending "Whites Only" schools to drinking from "Whites Only" water fountains. Then the children attend a meeting with their parents, where Martin Luther King, Jr. discusses how they can end Jim Crow segregation. Their parents fear that activism could get them fired, or worse. The children step up.

The book narrates a child's experience of marching and… show more.