Module 2-
African American Literature
Bibliography
Pinkney,
Andrea Davis. 2013. Ill. by J. Brian Pinkney. Martin & Mahalia: his
words, her song. New York: Little, Brown, and Company. ISBN 9780316070133
Brief Summary Plot
“They
were each born with the gift of gospel.” Martin Luther King spoke the gospel.
Mahalia Jackson sang the gospel. Alternating pages narrate the story of two
inspirational Civil Rights leaders and how their friendship united them to
inspire others to fight peacefully for change in a segregated world. From the
Montgomery bus boycott to the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, Martin
and Mahalia used their voices to give praise to the Almighty and offer hope for
a dream to become reality.
Critical Analysis
A beautifully illustrated picture book by Andrea and Brian
Pinkney offering insight into the powerful influence that spirituality can
provide to guide a movement. The illustrations and text establish the tone even
before the opening storyline. As noted in the back of the book, the
illustrations are paintings created from transparent watercolors, Pelikan
opaque watercolors, and black Speedball India ink. The words “come along” with
arrows offering direction present themselves leading to the title, inviting the
reader to come along and experience an incredible journey of Martin and
Mahalia. The arrows appear throughout the story to serve as a reminder to
always move forward. Mr. Pinkney use soft tones of blue and green to represent
Dr. King’s upbringing in church and influential sermons. In contrast, Ms.
Jackson’s life and gift of song are represented in brilliant hues of orange and
reds. As the two combine forces of song and sermon, the illustrations are
masterfully blended into glow of purples and magentas. In staying true to the
message of achieving the goal of equality in peaceful ways, a lone dove is
depicted in the corner of each illustration with a swirl of colors embodying
both Martin and Mahalia. As the illustrations depict scenes of racial discrimination,
nonviolent marches, bus boycotts, and peaceful protests, the colors are blended
from bright yellows and greens to pale representatives of the same hues.
In examining the illustrations for cultural markers of
authenticity, Mr. Pinkney’s illustrations embody accurate and realistic
representations of both Martin and Mahalia
for skin tone and facial features. Several illustrations,
including Martin as a young child and a gathering of Dr. King’s advisors also
accurately represent facial features, hair texture, and skin tone. Clothing
worn is representative of how someone would dress for church or a special
event.
Transportation is also referenced with the addition of the
Montgomery Bus Boycott. Many African Americans used the bus service as a mode
of transportation.
Most significant is how the illustrator has chosen to
express the relevance of two key events: the friendship of Martin and Mahalia
and the March on Washington. The reader must turn the book vertically for the
two page spread – quite captivating and intensely moving. The illustrations
also represent markers of African American literature with displays of
congregations and sermons, emphasizing the importance of spirituality.
Andrea Pinkney offers several cultural markers in regard to
text. The identification of a specific culture is mentioned with the inclusion
of “Black folks” and “white folks.” This
reference only occurs once when depicting Martin’s early years with an
illustration of a public pool. Music played an important role during the Civil
Rights Movement. The words to several spirituals are mentioned throughout the
story including “I’ve been buked and I’ve been scorned,” “we shall overcome,” and
“woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom.” As the story conclude
with the March on Washington, Martin declares that “there would be no Here and
There or Us and Them.” Unity would be the message preached.
The powerful poetic language alternates with simple text
against soft colorful backgrounds. Some words
are capitalized to promote their importance. For example colorful words include
SPOKE, PRAYED, SOUGHT, and TAUGHT for Martin, while Mahalia’s colorful words
include SANG, WORKED, SPREAD, and BRASS AND BUTTER to describe her voice. It
should also be noted that throughout the text both Dr. King and Ms. Jackson are
always referenced by first name only, never by titles. Text is also woven into
the illustrations representative of both Martin and Mahalia’s character.
The end of the book includes a message by the author, Andrea
Pinkney, detailing the friendship of Dr. King and Ms. Jackson. Also included is
a message from illustrator Brian Pinkney, husband of Andrea detailing the
inspiration behind the illustrations created for the book. There is also a
suggested book list, selected discography, and a timeline of important events.
The overall theme of this story is the effort to overcome
years of racial inequality through discrimination, prejudice, and Jim Crow
laws. Through a friendship forged with faith, Martin and Mahalia gave a people
hope and courage to continue the struggle for civil rights for all.
Awards
American Library Association Notable Books for Children,
2014
Review Excerpts
Horn Book Guide:” A
visual representation of that faith, a series of banners with directions (e.g.,
"This way to freedom") create a frame for each illustration, while
words from both King and singer Jackson provide context for the uplifting text.”
– Katie Bircher
Publishers Weekly: The
Pinkneys (Hand in Hand) return with a vibrant, upbeat tribute to two prominent
civil rights figures and friends, preacher Martin Luther King Jr. and singer
Mahalia Jackson. Both used their powerful voices to stir people to action:
"Martin's sermons and Mahalia's spirituals told their listeners: You are
here./ On the path./ Come along./ Step proud./ Stand strong./ Be brave./ Go
with me." Brian Pinkney's illustrations reflect their partnership, as
swirling swaths of color (greens and blues for King's pages, reds and oranges
for Jackson's) meld into purple-magenta hues in spreads featuring them
together. The line between illustration and narrative is satisfyingly blurred,
e.g., bold colors highlight some words in the text, while the stylized
watercolors incorporate words and phrases. Buoyant brushstrokes curl and circle
upward, arrows curve and point. In each scene, an encircled dove flies along
these looping lines, pointing the way to the book's culmination, the March on
Washington. Author and illustrator notes provide additional biographical information
and explain the artwork's symbolism in detail. An extensive resource list
rounds out the concluding material. (Ages
6 and up).” – Rebecca Sherman, Writers House
Connections
Reading:
The skill of compare and contrast is used throughout this
book. Students could use a Venn diagram to locate and identify the similarities
and differences between Martin and Mahalia. This activity could lead to reading
other books that compare and contrast the main characters. Text selection might
include:
As Good as Anybody:
Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March toward
Freedom
Writing:
Students could compose a letter as either Martin or Mahlia.
Students would write about the qualities they admire in one another and how the
message each one brought to millions of people was inspiring.
Social Studies:
Students could research the Civil Rights movement and
identify the purpose of the movement, significant events during that time,
influential leaders, and outcomes.
References
Horn Book Guide. “ Martin and Mahalia His Words, Her Song”.
Hbook.com
(accessed September 13, 2015)
Publishers Weekly. “Martin and Mahalia His Words, Her Song”.
Publishersweekly.com
(accessed September 13, 2015)
TWU Library Database – Books In Print
(accessed September 13, 2015)
Bibliography
Woodson,
Jacqueline. 2002. Hush. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN 9780399231148
Brief Summary Plot
Toswiah
Green has a perfect life. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her older sister,
Cameron, a mother named Shirley, who is a teacher, and her father, Jonathan, a
police officer. She has a best friend, Lulu, born the same day and in the same
hospital as her. She and her sister are involved in school activities and want
for nothing. One evening, her father witnesses the murder of a young African
American youth by two fellow police officers. The boy is an honor student who
has never been in trouble with the law before. The officer’s defense is that
they feared the youth had a weapon when in fact he had hands raised. Toswiah’s
father instinctively knows that he must do the right thing and testify against
his fellow officers, although he knows that he will receive pressure to not
testify because officers band together and keep “the blue wall of silence” and
remain ‘hushed.” With Officer Green’s decision come death threats and the
inevitable. The family must enter the Witness Protection program and let go of
all they have come to know about their very own existence and identity. As the
family spirals into a life of secret identities, Toswiah now Evie finds freedom
from running, her mother finds solace in the religion of Jehovah’s Witness,
Cameron/Anna seeks an escape of her new life by studying to apply for early
entry into college, and her father, who sits and stares out the window daily,
sinks into a deep depression, which leads to a suicide attempt. Will
Toswiah/Evie be able to merge who she once was with who she has now become? Can
she identify with either personality or find a happy medium of both?
Critical Analysis
The novel is told in narrative form with Toswiah/Evie
bouncing back and forth from what was her former life in Denver, to what is now
her life in an undisclosed location. The settings are in stark contrast to each
other. Her former home is attached with happiness and perfection, while her new
home is portrayed as dismal, dirty, and bleak.
This book centers on identity and an awareness of self, it
must be noted that the core of this search for identity, is a result of racism.
The main character and her family were not victims of racism while living in
Denver, but it should be noted that Officer Green was in the presence of fellow
officers who often told jokes based on racial ethnicity, though not directed at
himself. As a matter of fact, the precinct that Officer Green worked in was predominantly
white. He is the only black officer in his precinct. The Green’s had
assimilated themselves into a community of white middle class, the family still
maintains an awareness of who they were and where they had come.
Jacqueline Woodson offers several cultural makers that lend
to the authenticity for African American literature. Descriptions of skin tone
include Toswiah’s depiction of her mother calling her “brown all over,
chocolate, dark wool, the smell of Earth, and trees.” While details about the
two sister’s skin are “coppery,” a mixture of both her parent’s skin – light
and dark. Toswiah’s father even calls his girls “copper pennies” a term of
endearment. Only Cameron criticizes her skin color by saying that her
classmates call her “the only” referring to her being the lone black girl in
her class. Ironically, Cameron is involved in multiracial relationship with a
boy of one of the accused officers.
As the family begins
to experience death threats, some phone calls come in for support of Officer
Green’s ability to stand for justice and “do the right thing,” but the author
does not elude as to whether the support is offered by fellow officers of the
same race. What is mentioned is that no outward support is offered that can be
witnessed by the general public.
Another cultural marker, which plays an important role in
the story, is the names of characters. Toswiah is a family name that has passed
down from generation to generation on her mother’s side. Toswiah’s new name,
Evie, has been taken from a jump rope song she has grown up with. Cameron
chooses the name Anna because as she says, “a palindrome, backward and forward
the same thing. Turn it completely around and it’s the same thing.”
Celebrations and food both play important roles in the story.
Mama is an avid cook and enjoys cooking meals from scratch for her family as
mentioned at the beginning of the novel from sizzling fried chicken to homemade
biscuits. For Toswiah’s birthday her mom would always makes her favorite
coconut cake. With a new life comes adjustments, gone are the “from scratch”
meals and in their place are package mixes and store bought cakes. Birthdays
are no longer celebrated nor given special consideration because of Mama’s conversion to the Jehovah Witness religion.
Hush is about
identity. How do we define ourselves? Culture? Family? Interests? Does identity
have to be just one thing or can it be several? Sometimes a person has to go
through unexpected events to come to a place in their lives that may alter the
past, but will define their future.
Awards
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2002
Review Excerpts
School Library Journal
reviewed February 1, 2002: “This multifaceted novel from
the talented Woodson may be too introspective for some readers, but those
sophisticated enough to manage the intricacies of the story will come away with
images and characters who are impossible to forget.” - Sharon Grover, Arlington County Department of Libraries, VA
Voices of Youth Advocates
reviewed February 1, 2002: “Woodson's dreamlike writing
mirrors Toswiah's almost trancelike state as she is pulled from one life and
plunged into a new role that of Evie, her assumed name for an assumed life. The
spare, poetic prose underscores the loss felt by each family member. As healing
begins, there is hope that Toswiah's family will reconnect and redefine its
future. This complex novel is written in a deceptively simple style. There are
parallels and symbolism to generate discussion, but the bottom line is that
Woodson is a graceful storyteller, skilled at expressing emotions and
encouraging thought in a few, well-chosen words. Hush is not a thriller like
Lois Duncan's Don't Look Behind You (Delacorte, 1989/VOYA August 1989), based
on a similar theme. Woodson's tale will intrigue readers searching for the
meaning of family, justice, and sacrifice.” – Judy Sasges
Connections
Reading and Writing
Toswiah and her family were whisked away from their home in
the middle of the night.
Students can have discussions about how they would feel to
leave all they owned and move to an undisclosed location. Students can write
about what they would take if they were limited to a certain amount of items
and explain their reasoning behind their choices.
Characters in the story were given new identities. Students
could write about who they would invent themselves into being, if they had to
create an entire new personality for themself.
Toswiah is searching for her identity in this novel.
Students could write about who they are, their talents, their aspirations, and
what values they feel are important to them.
Social Studies
Research could be conducted on the witness protection
program. Students could generate a list of questions in regard to this service
and use multiple sources to gather information.
References
TWU Library Database – Books In Print
(accessed September 13, 2015)
Bibliography
Grimes,
Nikki. 2002. Ill. By E. B. Lewis. Talkin' about Bessie: the story of aviator
Bessie Coleman. New York: Orchard Books/Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780439352437
Brief Summary Plot
A
biography of the first African American female pilot, Elizabeth “Bessie”
Coleman as told from the point of view of family members, field hands,
educators, laundry customers, classmates, news reporters, clergyman, fans, and
Bessie, herself. Born in Texas in 1832, Bessie Coleman had a spirit of
determination to achieve greatness in her lifetime. She fought two battles
racial discrimination and gender bias. As Bessie moved through various stages
of her life, she always reminded of her will to make something great of her
life
Critical Analysis
Although the characters in this biography of Bessie
Coleman’s life are actual people that Bessie knew throughout her life, author,
Nikki Grimes, makes note that the “voices, styles of speech, and
characterizations are all imaginary devices used to bring Bessie’s true story
to life.” For some characters, a combination of several acquaintances has been
blended into one. The plot is sequenced in chronological order from The very
beginning of Bessie’s birth to her untimely death at the age of thirty-four.
The setting of the story begins in Texas, travels to Chicago, moves overseas to
Europe, and ends with Bessie’s return to stateside. Overall theme throughout
this book is one of will, belief in one’s self, determination, and desire to
overcome.
The author has written a poetic account of Bessie Coleman’s
life in free verse. By allowing others to offer their account of Bessie’s life,
the reader is drawn in and offered multiple perspectives. Though most accounts
are positive, there is one example, as told by Bessie’s sister-in-law, Willie,
that paints Bessie as one who stretches the truth in order to bolster her
status. Willie states, “her causin’ folks to think otherwise was nothin’ but a
shame.” This harsh interpretation could have been deep-rooted jealousy instead.
Several cultural markers are clearly depicted in the story
line. The language patterns throughout the text are authentic and
representative of the time period. The author has stated that the styles of
voice are all imaginary. Bessie’s parents and a field hand’s language consist
of words such as “chile,” “neitha,” the removal of “ing” on certain words, and
“ain’t”. Her father’s language also referred to the death of his children as
“flew to Glory” and he referred to himself as “a colored man.” Bessie’s mother
was known to use the bible as a way to teach her children to read. Customers of
Bessie, who took in laundry, refereed to her and others as “the Coloreds”. One
customer was appalled that Bessie would even consider them equals, which the author has italicized for emphasis. The word
“Negro is also mentioned as Bessie takes up residence in Chicago.
References to establishments such as Jessie Binga, a wealthy
entrepreneur, nightclubs like Dreamland, The Stroll are given mention as Bessie
takes up residence in Chicago.
The illustrations, created by E. B. Lewis, are another
highlight to this book. Each account of Bessie’s life, as told by another, has
a small portrait of that person on the same page as their account of Bessie.
The portrait has a sepia tone, which adds to the authenticity of that era. People’s
portrait gives a natural balance to their skin tone. On the alternate page of
each person’s recollection is a full-page illustration reflecting the words of
each. The illustrations are softly muted with a blurred overtone.
Cultural markers that are evident in the illustrations
include skin tone, clothing, homes, and hairstyles. Skin tone varies from light
to dark complexions. Body types are represented in varying degrees from slim to
moderately large. Clothing is representative of life as sharecropper, church
attire included women in hats with dresses, and men in suits. Homes are
simplistic with wooden floors, rocking chairs, and clotheslines for taking in
laundry, porches, and kerosene lamps for lighting. Children’s hairstyles are
represented with multiple braids and clips. Women and men’s hairstyles are
representative of that time period with up dos, slick backs, and close-cropped
afros. One mode of transportation, which could be considered a cultural marker,
would be foot traffic for delivering laundry and walking to school. The illustrations provide a perfect compliment
to the life story of Bessie Coleman.
The themes of this biographical story are one of
determination, overcoming racial barriers, gender inequality, persistence, and
belief in oneself. Although Bessie’s life ended tragically and much to soon,
she stands as a role model for all those who overcome barriers to accomplish
their dream.
Awards
ABC Children’s Booksellers Choices Award, 2003
Coretta Scott King Book and Illustrator Award, 2003
Review Excerpts
Kirkus Review: “Grimes takes an unusual, fictionalized
approach to portraying this determined, undaunted woman who made aviation
history. She recreates the voices of 20 people who supposedly knew Bessie,
expressing their point of view in a free-verse format. Each double spread has
the person’s monologue with his or her name or role running down the edge of
the page with a cameo drawing like a photo at the top; opposite is a full-page
illustration in Lewis’s typical style that strikingly adds dimension and
context to the times and the woman. The handsome design, large format, and
beautiful artwork make this very attractive, but the lack of source notes or
clarification of what’s fictionalized—especially quotes—and the strange opening
scene set at Bessie’s wake as she speaks to her mother from her photo on the
mantel, will leave many readers confused. (Picture book. 8-10”)
Cooperative
Children’s Book Center: “Twenty
single-page monologues, told in the imagined voices of her real family, friends
and acquaintances, as well as a few composite characters, create a
multidimensional portrait of aviator Elizabeth Coleman. Lewis’s handsome,
full-page watercolor illustrations are ideal foils to the narration, which
closes with words Bessie might have said: "In the end, I count myself
twice blessed: / first to have experienced the joy of flight; / and, second, to
have shared it with others of my race. / I'll say this and no more: /You have
never lived / until you have flown!"
Connections
Reading
Students can compare and contrast the two most famous female
aviators, Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart by using a Venn diagram.
Students can discuss and identify character traits that
Bessie Coleman possessed. Students would support their reasoning for each trait
by citing examples in the text.
Students would participate in a Reader’s Theater of each
character’s interaction with Bessie Coleman. Students would have the option of
performing before their own class or for a student assembly.
References
Kirkus Review. “Talkin’ About Bessie The Story of Aviator
Elizabeth Coleman.” Kirkusreview.com
(accessed September 13, 2015)
Cooperative Children’s Book Center. “Talkin’ About Bessie
The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman.” CCBC.education.wisc.edu
(accessed September 13, 2015)
TWU
Library Database - Children’ Literature Comprehensive Database
http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/ - /bookdetail/1/0/pKMmKlMpkKmKimom/bdrtop
(accessed September 13, 2015)
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