Frank Morrison

Under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, children and teenagers march against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963.

Growing up in the segregated town of Clarksville, Tennessee, in the 1960s, Alta's family cannot afford to buy her new sneakers--but she still plans to attend the parade celebrating her hero Wilma Rudolph's three Olympic gold medals.

"In 1936, eighth grader MacNolia Cox became the first African American to win the Akron, Ohio, spelling bee. And with that win, she was asked to compete at the prestigious National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC, where she and a girl from New Jersey were the first African Americans invited since its founding. She left her home state a celebrity—right up there with Ohio’s own Joe Louis and Jesse Owens—with a military band and a crowd of thousands...

"Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor was one of basketball's all-time greatest players-an innovative athlete, a team player, and a quiet force for change. A member of the early, scrappy NBA and one of the first professional African American players, Elgin took risks on and off the court. Known for his acrobatic style of moving and shooting, he inspired others to get creative with their game. But when traveling for away games, some hotels and restaurants turned...

As a new school year begins, a young girl is filled with school spirit as she zips her book bag shut, rides the bus, enjoys her classes, and eagerly anticipates the next day.

"A lyrical and proud picture book that recognizes the beauty of the bodegas, subways, and playgrounds that characterize everyday life in the Bronx and pays homage to the ways that its residents have shaped pop culture through music, visual art, and dance." --publisher's website.

"A biography of African American musician Melba Doretta Liston, a virtuoso musician who played the trombone and composed and arranged music for many of the great jazz musicians of the twentieth century"--Provided by publisher.

"When George Washington Carver was just a young child, he had a secret: a garden of his own. Here, he rolled dirt between his fingers to check if plants needed more rain or sun. He protected roots through harsh winters so plants could be reborn in the spring. He trimmed flowers, spread soil, studied life cycles. and it was in this very place that George's love of nature sprouted into something so much more--his future. Gene Barretta's moving...

A self-confident young African-American girl explains why she is "queen of the scene" at the playground.

"Aretha Franklin was born to sing. The daughter of a pastor and a gospel singer, she had a gift for music that was clear from her earliest days in her father's Detroit church. Aretha sang wiht a soaring voice that spanned more than three octaves. Her incredible talent and string of hit songs earned her the title 'the Queen of Soul.' Aretha won many Grammy awards and was the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And there was even...