Remember: the Journey to School Integration (bk 1) (80 pgs)

Morrison, Toni (2004). Remember: the journey to school integration. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, MA.

Summary:
Toni Morrison uses pictures to paint a picture of one the most controversial times in
American history. When the Supreme Court decided that separate facilities were not equal it sent a shock through the entire American population. The pictures in this book represent the fear and jubilation of the African-American population. Morrison also uses them to show the ignorance, intolerance, and fear of the white population after the Supreme Court decision was made.
Author: Toni Morrison
Illustrator: N/A
Access Features: Introduction, Civil Rights and School Integration Timeline,
Photo Notes
Illustrations: Historical before and after pictures of integration
Curriculum: Social Studies
Use of book in Classroom: This book would be a great resource to use with children to discuss the Civil Rights Movement and the Brown v. Board of Education decision. I would use it to show the inherent differences that were called “separate but equal” facilities and to have evidence of why this decision was so important.
Credibility of Author: Morrison tells the reader in the introduction that she imagined the thoughts that she added as text for some of the pictures. However, she has her dates correct and gives credit for that in the back of the book. She also has a listing of photo credits
Grade Level: Grades 3-12
Awards: Coretta Scott King Author Award
Parent’s Choice Foundation Gold Award
BCCB Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award
National Standards: Social Studies: Standard 4: Individual Development and Identity; Standard 5: Individuals, Groups, and Institutions; Standard 6: Power, Authority, and Governance
Related Texts: Through My Eyes by: Ruby Bridges-look at school integration through the eyes of Ruby Bridges as a first grader; Warriors Don’t Cry by: Melba Pettilo Beals-story of the Little Rock Nine and their fight for school segregation; The Power of One: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine by: Dennis Brindell Fradin-story of Daisy Bates and her part in the Little Rock Nine fight for school segregation; The School is Not White! A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement by: Doreen Rappaport

Response:
This book is very emotional. It is hard to read it without feeling the fear and the indignation on the people’s faces. What makes it even more touching and revealing is that it is true. I think that is also what makes it so personal especially for those of us who grew up in the south. The book really brings to light the hardships and the inequalities that African Americans in the South grew up with before integration. It also brings to light the fact that the region known for its hospitality was, at one time, not so hospitable.