Viewing African American History Through Children's Eyes

 The Civil Rights Movement was a pivotal moment in American history. Children need to learn about  this history in order to understand what is going on today. There are two exhibits across the country that invite young people to explore Civl Rights and African American history. Check them out if you are near them.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art at 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 0100  presents Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children's Books. This exhibition is the first of its kind to delve into the historic events, people, and themes of the civil rights movement as told through picture books. Visitors can see more than 80 artworks on view—ranging from paintings and prints to collages and drawings—by 41 artists. Picture the Dream evokes the power and relevance of an era that shaped American history and continues to reverberate today.  Exhibit is open until July 2.

“Great picture books prompt great conversations,” says Alexandra Kennedy, executive director at The Carle. “What better way for parents and teachers to introduce the difficult history of civil rights than through stories about the people who fought for equality? We believe the powerful illustrations in Picture the Dream will inspire visitors of all ages to ask hard questions and look anew at issues of equity and justice.”

Mentor Public Library’s Main Branch in Mentor Ohio is hosting a special exhibition this summer that highlights the art found within African-American children’s picture books. Telling A People’s Story: African-American Children’s Illustrated Literature includes 130 pieces of art from 33 artists from 95 books and spans 50 years of creativity. The featured artists include Caldecott medalists and honorees like John Steptoe, Leo and Diane Dillon, Javaka Steptoe, Jerry Pinkney and E.B. Lewis. Across 12 panels, the exhibit follows the history of a people from African origins to slavery and segregation through the Harlem Renaissance, Great Migration, Civil Rights Era and to modern times.

Telling A People’s Story uses paintings, pastels, drawings and mixed-media illustrations to celebrate the complex and diverse African-American experience through a lens intended for children and younger readers. The exhibition is free to enjoy from June 3 to Aug. 29 in the lobby of MPL’s Main Branch. All are invited to see it. Kids, ages 12 and younger, can win a small prize by reading the books highlighted in the exhibit. Their address is 8215 Mentor Ave, Mentor, Ohio 44060, their phone is 440-255-8811.

Here are a few of the books featured in the exhibition, Picture the Dream for parents interested in sharing the stories with their children  

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney  

Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, illustrated by Laura Freeman  

A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney  

If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks written and illustrated by Faith Ringgold  

My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Martin Luther King III, illustrated by A.G. Ford  

Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment by Parker and Jessica Curry, illustrated by Brittany Jackson  

Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Raul Colón  

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., illustrated by Kadir Nelson