Home Run for Civil Rights: Exploring Social Justice and the Negro Leagues Through Children's Literature
Document Type
Review
Publication Date
1-1-2017
Description
Educators are in a distinctive position of influencing children's appreciation for diverse cultures and heritages of the world. A number of exceptional texts are utilized in American libraries and schools portraying the African American struggle for equality. Many of those texts focus on the significant societal and political heroes such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. While these titles are essential to the story of the Civil Rights experience, this article explores lesser known texts, yet they provide gateways to understanding and empathetic perspectives for men who struggled to play baseball in the equal manner to their white counterparts. Rube Foster, Cool Papa Bell and Satchel Paige are some of baseball's most interesting characters; sadly, very few children know about them. This article examines the stories of men with a special page in history: The Negro Leagues, 1920-1960.
Citation Information
Parrott, Deborah J.; and Julian, Kristi D.. 2017. Home Run for Civil Rights: Exploring Social Justice and the Negro Leagues Through Children's Literature. History of Education and Children's Literature. Vol.12(2). 397-405. ISSN: 1971-1093