#thurgood

To be young, gifted and black, Oh what a lovely precious dream

Nina Simone

“We all know what it’s like to be told that there is not a place for you to be featured. Yet you are young, gifted and Black. We know what it’s like to be told there’s not a screen for you to be featured on, a stage for you to be featured on. We know what it’s like to be the tail and not the head. We know what it’s like to be beneath and not above. That is what we went to work with every day. Because we knew … that we had something special that we wanted to give the world. That we could be full human beings in the roles that we were playing. That we could create a world that exemplified a world that we wanted to see.”

In honor of Black History Month 2020, here’s a selection of recent picture books on inspiring and intriguing figures in African American history, from an exciting group of authors and illustrators.  

Thurgood, by Jonah Winter and Bryan Collier The life of Thurgood Marshall, before he became the first Black Supreme Court Justice in U.S. history. 

Lizzie Demands a Seat!, by Beth Anderson and E.B. Lewis A century before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, Elizabeth Jennings was thrown off a street car. She took her fight all the way to the Supreme Court and set a new precedent in civil rights. 

A Place to Land, by Barry Wittenstein and Jerry Pinkney There are many beautiful biographies of Martin Luther King Jr., but this is a unique look at the crafting of his most famous speech. 

The Power of Her Pen, by Lesa Cline-Ransome and John Parra Groundbreaking journalist and First Lady of the Black Press Ethel Payne’s relentless quest for answers. 

The Oldest Student, by Rita Lorraine Hubbard and Oge Mora Mary Walker was born into slavery and lived through the Civil Rights Movement, and at 116 years old she learned to read. 

50 years ago today, Thurgood Marshall makes history and is confirmed as the first African-American Justice on the US Supreme Court. Here are some of our favorite Thurgood Marshall quotes:

“We cannot play ostrich. Democracy just cannot flourish amid fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. America must get to work. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral leadership. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.” Thurgood Marshall

"To protest against injustice is the foundation of all our American democracy." Thurgood Marshall

“America’s diversity offers so much richness and opportunity. Take a chance, won’t you? Knock down the fences that divide. Tear apart the walls that imprison. Reach out, freedom lies just on the other side. We should have liberty for all.“ Thurgood Marshall

“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.” Thurgood Marshall