The Forgotten

This poetic Black history picture book in verse for readers ages 7-10 honors the people of color who fought for the freedom at the first battle of the American Revolution in Lexington and Concord. New from Coretta Scott King Honor illustrator R. Gregory Christie and acclaimed author Ray Anthony Shepard.

We, the patriots of Color, / will tell you what we did / on day one / of the American Revolution / to quench our thirst for Liberty.

On April 19, 1775, the first battle of the American Revolution began in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. Enslaved men, women, and children were among the first to answer the call, fighting for freedom far beyond that of British rule: the end of their bondage.

Ray Anthony Shepard and R. Gregory Christie imagine the voices of the people of color, both soldiers and civilians, who fought courageously on that day—in a war for liberty that delivered it unequally. Told in verse and illustrated with Christie's iconic art, these six gripping stories spotlight a vital contradiction and overlooked chapter of the American Revolution—one that demands to be remembered.