Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone: The Brown v. Board of Education Decision

Well, I have had this book for four years, and it is about time I wrote about it, so that I can share its awesomeness with other readers! Award-winning writer, Joyce Carol Thomas, collected and edited essays and poems written at her request by her fellow authors of literature for young people for this small volume in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1954 Supreme Court decision, "Brown vs. Board of Education". Although the Court ruled in favor of the plaintive, Rev. Brown, thus allowing his eight year old daughter, Linda Brown, to attend a "white" elementary school in Topeka, Kansas; and made segregation of races illegal in twenty States, there was a long, long road ahead toward integration and better treatment of African Americans within the U.S. This is a beautiful and powerful book befitting to the occasion of remembering what it is like then and how things were, both the good and the bad, between races, back in 1954, and, while looking back, helps us to examine where we are now, and perhaps reflect on what lies ahead. How must it have been for such a small child such as Linda Brown to both symbolically be at the forefront of desegrazion of schools and, effectively, our society? She must have been very brave, walking alone and unwanted into that all-white school. Physically she was there with the other children of her age, yet effectively she was very, very alone. Her family wanted her to have a good education and get equal treatment. Up to that point, the schools were arranged according to the principle "separate, but equal", yet this was far from the reality of the situation. The black schools were often in appalling disrepair, the school supplies meager, at best; and, when they received "new" textbooks, they were actually getting the tattered and worn books from the white schools, when they bought new books. Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone shows glimpses into the lives of others, and the nascent forces of the changing times, which show that she is not alone in the fight for desegregation and equal treatment. The thirteen essays and poems (including the introduction) run the gamant both in the experiences as well as style. There is humor, poinyantcy , some bitterness, hope, courage and determination. This variety helps keep the reader interested. Two of my favorites were the story, "Wonamona" by Jerry Spinalli, and "Stormy Weather" by the editor, Joyce Carol Thomas. In the former story, Spinelli tells about his wonderful friendship with a neighbor, a same-age black boy whose real name was Reyburn, but who insisted on being called "Wondamona". His friend was a very friendly and gutsy kid, but the young Spinalli was not aware of how special and rare their friendship was, nor did he notice how that Reyburn's mother always had to paint the front door to get rid of the words that appeared there. Eventually Wondamona/Reburn gets his beat-up by an older white kid, and the family moves away. Not before he leaves a f

One of the most moving and memorable reading experiences that your child will have is "Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone," edited by the celebrated children's author, Joyce Carol Thomas. Cover-to cover, from the commemorative opening of this volume of stories and the stirring introduction by Ms. Thomas, to the very last story, this is by far one of the best anthologies that has been written for young people. In Jerry Spinelli, Eloise Greenfield, Lois Lowry, Quincy Troupe, Katherine, Joyce Carol Thomas, Michael Cart, Ishmael Reed, Jean Craighead George, Leona Nicholas Welch, you will find some of the finest writing in a single volume. Joyce Carol Thomas has managed to gather together this very fine ensemble of writers and asked them to remember where they were when the Brown vs. Board of Education decision was handed down by the Supreme Court. They have all written stories worth reading over and over again. A full range of emotions, are expressed in these pages-anger, despair, hope, humor, sadness. These writers speak very forthrightly about racism, segregation, and injustice. They speak candidly about their own fears, loss of innocence, and their own hope for the future. They speak about the work that we still have to do as a society to bring full equality to every person. They also speak about our miserable failure at doing so. This is one of the strongest aspects of this collection-that it never condescends to its intended audience. The editor and the writers rightfully expect that their young readers have the maturity and the intellectual capacity to be able to embrace the varied truths and emotions expressed in this book. A volume like this requires that kind of trust between writer and reader. And, this makes this book one of the very best that I have read. Editor Thomas has brought together the right mix of writers, who with grace and clarity, provide a very unforgettable reading experience for our children. Ms. Thomas' own poem "Stormy Weather" is no exception. It is one of my favorites. And, last but not least, is the exquisite artwork of Curtis James! You'd have to look inside the book to really see how beautiful his work is! Thank all of these writers and illustrator, Curtis James by buying "Linda Brown, You Are Not Alone." Read it to your children. Read it with them. It's a magnificent read for adults, too! It's required reading for all of us.