Lizzie Demands a Seat!
Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
In 1854, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jennings, an African American schoolteacher, fought back when she was unjustly denied entry to a New York City streetcar, sparking the beginnings of the long struggle to gain equal rights on public transportation.
One hundred years before Rosa Parks took her stand, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jennings tried to board a streetcar in New York City on her way to church. Though there were plenty of empty seats, she was denied entry, assaulted, and threatened all because of her race--even though New York was a free state at that time. Lizzie decided to fight back. She told her story, took her case to court--where future president Chester Arthur represented her--and won! Her victory was the first recorded in the fight for equal rights on public transportation, and Lizzie's case set a precedent. Author Beth Anderson and acclaimed illustrator E. B. Lewis bring this inspiring, little-known story to life in this captivating book.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
On July 16, 1854, "Lizzie Jenkins was in a hurry. A big hurry. The kind of hurry she couldn't hold back." When a New York streetcar conductor tries to stop her from entering a car reserved for whites, she protests. "Despite being born a free black' in a free state,' she'd never been treated as equal... Suddenly, late-for-church wasn't as important as late-for-equality." When Jenkins is thrown off the streetcar, shown in a dramatic spread, a white witness steps forward, and Jenkins decides to take her case to court a risk: "if she failed to win, she could make it worse." But Jenkins, supported by her community, does win, notching the first victory in what would become a 100-year-long battle to end segregation on public transportation. Shimmering jewel-toned watercolors blur and delineate details in Lewis's paintings. Includes an author's note, bibliography, and reading suggestions. Ages 7 10.
