Civil Rights Book of Heroes

Civil Rights Book of Heroes
Tina Workman’s 8th grade Accelerated Language Arts class at Lincoln Junior High School
will present and read a book they have written entitled  Civil Rights Book of Heroes to
third grade students in Donita Biggs’s and Ren Anweiler’s classes at Central School at
10:00 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 in honor of Black History Month.
This encyclopedia is a Civil Rights reference book of 21 known and not so known Civil
Rights Leaders who fought for freedom and equality to make our world a better place. In
honor of Black History Month, we have scheduled a presentation and reading day with
District 27 third graders at Central School at 10:00 a.m. Wed., Feb. 13 th . These 8 th grade
authors will share their books with 3 rd graders and present to them two books for their
classroom libraries. The Civil Rights informational book is geared toward 3 rd grade level
readers.
This reference book is the result of the 8 th graders’ in-class study of The Little Rock Nine
and the autobiographical story of one of those nine, Melba Pattillo. Following the study of
the Little Rock Nine and the Civil Rights Movement, students researched 21 Civil Rights
Leaders and each wrote a biography explaining the contributions and sacrifices these
leaders made to the cause of equality and justice.
Sixty years after the fight for equality, many Civil Rights Leaders are well remembered;
some, however, have received scant recognition. Thus, the uniqueness of this book is to
recognize, not only those who we all know made a difference, but also those behind the
scenes men and women who sacrificed, struggled, and may have even lost their lives
working to ensure equality for all. This book is dedicated to those within its pages and all
people who were determined to bring equal rights to their fellow man.
Eighth graders wrote the book for a specific audience:  early to mid-elementary-aged
students and had to evaluate style, format, and reading level necessary to reach their
young readers.
The 8 th grade authors of this reference book are excited to share their work, not only as a
culminating activity in their study of The Little Rock Nine, but also as a way to promote
liberty and justice for all, while also recognizing the struggles and sacrifices Black
Americans have endured throughout history.