Trailblazer: The Story of Ballerina Raven Wilkinson

Written by: Leda Schubert

Illustrated by: Theodore Taylor III

For Ages: 6-9 years

Language: English

Topics Covered: Trailblazer, POC-Centric Narratives, Historical Figures, Acceptance, Courage, Perseverance.

Summary: This book follows the story of Raven Wilkinson, the first black ballerina to tour with a major American touring troupe. Raven became fascinated with ballet when she was young, and was gifted lessons at the age of 9. While attending Columbia University, Raven auditioned several times for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and finally was accepted on her third attempt in 1955. This company toured for several months at a time by bus. Raven began touring shortly after the Brown v. the Board of Education ruling that desegregated schools in 1954, and met some resistance from those who felt performance stages should not feature events with both black and white dancers sharing the stage. In some states, it was even illegal. In these places, Raven would sometimes lighten her skin with makeup before going onstage. Raven was courageous and persevered, never denying who she was even when it came to getting kicked out of a hotel or having people rush the stage in Alabama. During that same tour, Raven and the other dancers were in the hotel dining room when she noticed Klan robes in a booth. She chose not to perform that evening and instead stayed in her hotel watching a cross burning in the night. In 1962, Raven left Ballet Russe and joined a convent for 7 months until she was offered a spot in the Dutch National Ballet in Holland. Raven lived there for 7 years and even danced for Queen Juliana of the Netherlands! When Raven returned to the USA, she danced until she was 50 with the New York City Opera in 1985, and acted until 2011 when the opera closed. In 2015, Misty Copeland became the first African American principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater. Raven was at Misty’s performance of playing both Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, even joined her onstage at the end of the performance!

This book is a fantastic story of a little-known American hero. It covers our country’s racism during this time in an age-appropriate manner, and shows that it can be overcome with determination without compromising personal values. This book is important for students learning about our country’s history, as well as any aspiring dancer!

About the Author & the Illustrator:

Leda Schubert was the school library consultant for the Vermont Department of Education, and she has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She is the author of Monsieur Marceau, Feeding the Sheep, Ballet of the Elephants, and other books.