A Voice of Hope: The Myrlie Evers-Williams Story
by Nadia Salomon (Author) London Ladd (Illustrator)
Myrlie Evers-Williams’ voice is gentle yet strong, soft yet powerful. It is a soaring song of hope.
Myrlie’s voice didn’t start out that way. She was born into the segregated South and the beautiful brown color of her skin made her a target for hate. It meant she didn’t have the same opportunities as white children, and that meant her dream of playing music onstage one day would be harder to achieve. But this didn’t stop Myrlie. As she grew, she marched for equal rights alongside her husband and activist, Medgar Evers. She fought against Jim Crow laws and for voting rights. She became the chair of the NAACP, and finally she realized her dream of performing at Carnegie Hall. After that, as a voice for hope and change, Myrlie spoke at President Obama’s second inauguration, inspiring a nation.
Nadia Salomon’s lyrical text and London Ladd’s exquisite artwork honor and celebrate the legendary life of Myrlie Evers-Williams and share her message of hope with the world.
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Publishers Weekly
Working in flashback, Salomon chronicles the life and developing voice of civil rights champion Myrlie Evers-Williams (b. 1933). Born into Jim Crow Mississippi, Evers-Williams grew up in a place where "hate ran as deep as the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers" and "love flowed stronger than hate and river currents." The quiet girl finds her purpose at the piano, and dreams of performing at Carnegie Hall. When Jim Crow laws make it illegal for her to attend a private university, pivoting to a state school leads to her meeting WWII vet Medgar Evers (1925-1963). Together, they "created harmony and fought against injustice" until Evers's assassination sees her working for justice in his honor and, eventually, becoming the first full-time woman chair of the NAACP. Ladd's distinctive collage bursts with life and color in this homage to a once-shy figure who fought for justice, along the way cultivating skills that would see her playing Carnegie Hall and offering a prayer at President Obama's second inauguration. Includes a timeline and author's note. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JNF007110 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Social Activists
JNF053200 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Social Topics | Values & Virtues
