We March
“We are hot, we are tired, but we are filled with hope. We lean on each other as we march to justice.”
“On August 28, 1963, a remarkable event took place: More than 250,000 people gathered in the U.S. capital to participate in the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The march began at the Washington Monument and ended with a rally at the Lincoln Memorial, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech advocating racial harmony.”
Historical picture books are important to include in our children’s libraries. There could be no better time than the present for us to share this genre with our children. Protests, marches, political signs in yards and on buildings are telling children a version of what is going on the world. Why not introduce books that help them to interpret the meaning of it all by comparing it to what’s happened before?
Since books about real events like “We March” by Shane W. Evans involve stories of people from many ethnic groups and family situations, they match to some degree the diversity of life in today's society. Children relate the stories not only to their own personal lives but also develop an appreciation for the life experiences of those who may be culturally or socially different from themselves.
We highly recommend this book to kick off conversations about the work of important historical figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. and the heroes of today. To bring the conversation to more current times, you could talk about the work of Greta Thunberg - a young person herself and an inspiration to many.
We hope this book is one of many that lets your child known their values are valid and they too, can raise their voice to be seen and heard.
Some things to think about…
If you really wanted someone to listen to you, what would you do?
What is so important to you that you would march? Do you think marching is effective? What other ways can we share our ideas?
