more books about black identity
English
4-8 years
- Historical Figures
- Activism
- Black Culture & Identity
- Trailblazers
- Women in Politics
- Independent Thought
Veronica Chambers and Rachelle Baker
Summary:
As soon as I saw the cover release for this book, I knew I HAD to read it! Shirley Chisholm is an incredible role model for me personally, and for many many others. She ran for president in 1972 and refused to let anyone talk down to her or detract from her goals of civic reform.
Shirley was born in New York City, the child of two immigrants. She spent some time with her sisters in Barbados living with family while her parents worked around the clock to afford a modest home in Brooklyn for the family. After becoming a teacher and helping organize Head Start programs, Shirley then ran for and won a seat on the NY Assembly, followed by a congressional win (the first Black woman ever)! Although she ran in 1972 for the Democratic nomination for president, she was unsuccessful.
Shirley left behind a nationwide legacy, initiating WIC and the nationwide school lunch program. You’ve probably heard one of her most famous quotes “if they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair”, which remains a cornerstone quote of many organizations today. This book is brilliant in the way it regales the accomplishments of trailblazing, “Fighting Shirley Chisholm” while explaining a wonderful array of verbs that describe her. I love a book that sneaks in history, vocabulary, and teaches kids about an inspirational politician that paved the way for so many other powerful women in politics.
This book was kindly sent by PenguinKids, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to review it. All opinions and decision to review is my own!
Veronica Chambers is a prolific author, best known for her critically acclaimed memoir, Mama’s Girl which has been course adopted by hundreds of high schools and colleges throughout the country. The New Yorker called Mama’s Girl, “a troubling testament to grit and mother love… one of the finest and most evenhanded in the genre in recent years.” Born in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, her work often reflects her Afro-Latina heritage.
She coauthored the award-winning memoir Yes Chef with chef Marcus Samuelsson as well as Samuelsson’s young adult memoir Make It Messy, and has collaborated on four New York Times bestsellers, most recently 32 Yolks, which she cowrote with chef Eric Ripert. She has been a senior editor at the New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, and Glamour. Born in Panama and raised in Brooklyn, she writes often about her Afro-Latina heritage. She speaks, reads, and writes Spanish, but she is truly fluent in Spanglish. She is currently a JSK Knight fellow at Stanford University.
Rachelle Baker
Rachelle Baker is a multi-disciplinary artist from Detroit, MI with a background in Relief Printing (Screenprinting, Lino/Woodcutting), Illustration, Comic Art, Video Art, and Music. She is inspired by Shoujo manga, anime and comics bad girls, stoic women dancing in the backgrounds of late 90’s/early 2000’s R&B videos, and the sound cats make when they’re yawning. She is a Capricorn with a Scorpio moon.
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