Overview

Enslaved people had few rights and suffered unspeakable hardships under slavery. Since the very beginning of the practice of slavery, enslaved people fought back against their mistreatment. They resisted through rebellions, escape, and through acts in their everyday lives, such as learning how to read. Learn about the many forms of resistance, key figures of rebellions and the Underground Railroad, and how resistance led to the rise of the abolitionist movement and beyond. Read Woke Books are created in partnership with Cicely Lewis, the Read Woke librarian. Inspired by a belief that knowledge is power, Read Woke Books seek to amplify the voices of people of the global majority (people who are of African, Arab, Asian, and Latin American descent and identify as not white), provide information about groups that have been disenfranchised, share perspectives of people who have been underrepresented or oppressed, challenge social norms and disrupt the status quo, and encourage readers to take action in their community.

Full Product Details

9781728439068

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""An important purchase for those who want to broaden the perspectives in their American History collection.""—School Library Journal ""[A] compelling shift in how this period of American history has traditionally been told. . . . An excellent starting point for researchers.""—starred, Booklist"

Lewis' Read Woke brand grows with the addition of the American Slavery and the Fight for Freedom series (6 titles). This selection, though centered on the enslavement of Africans, is broad in its scope, starting with a nod to the 1619 Project and ending with a look at Black Lives Matter protests. The unifying thread is Black people's acts of resistance, both small and large, against having their rights and freedoms violated. Approaching the topic of slavery in this way marks a compelling shift in how this period of American history has traditionally been told. Indeed, Lewis tells it like it is ('Slavery was rooted in white supremacy') without letting the text become politically charged. A quick history of slavery is given before looking at rebellions, such as Joseph Cinque's 1839 uprising aboard the Amistad, the Underground Railroad, and the role of antislavery newspapers in achieving abolition. Also incorporated are primary sources (including QR codes to Library of Congress recordings and salient quotes), reflection and activism prompts, and a Read Woke reading list for those who want to learn more. An excellent starting point for researchers.--starred, Booklist -- Journal (4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM) This series is part of the Read Woke Books imprint in partnership with Cicely Lewis, who wrote the introductory letter found in each book. The titles cover events and important figures from the beginning of slavery in America up through the Jim Crow era. A note encourages readers to view the photos and illustrations critically and additional reflection questions are scattered throughout the books. In 'Primary Source Voices, ' QR codes access recordings of formerly enslaved persons or other historical narratives, while the 'Take Action' section offers virtual trips to national historic sites and museums as well as ideas for how to become politically active. There is also a Read Woke reading list in the back matter of each title. VERDICT An important purchase for those who want to broaden the perspectives in their American History collection.--School Library Journal -- Journal (4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM)

""An important purchase for those who want to broaden the perspectives in their American History collection.""—School Library Journal ""[A] compelling shift in how this period of American history has traditionally been told. . . . An excellent starting point for researchers.""—starred, Booklist

Lewis' Read Woke brand grows with the addition of the American Slavery and the Fight for Freedom series (6 titles). This selection, though centered on the enslavement of Africans, is broad in its scope, starting with a nod to the 1619 Project and ending with a look at Black Lives Matter protests. The unifying thread is Black people's acts of resistance, both small and large, against having their rights and freedoms violated. Approaching the topic of slavery in this way marks a compelling shift in how this period of American history has traditionally been told. Indeed, Lewis tells it like it is ('Slavery was rooted in white supremacy') without letting the text become politically charged. A quick history of slavery is given before looking at rebellions, such as Joseph Cinque's 1839 uprising aboard the Amistad, the Underground Railroad, and the role of antislavery newspapers in achieving abolition. Also incorporated are primary sources (including QR codes to Library of Congress recordings and salient quotes), reflection and activism prompts, and a Read Woke reading list for those who want to learn more. An excellent starting point for researchers. --starred, Booklist -- Journal (4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM) This series is part of the Read Woke Books imprint in partnership with Cicely Lewis, who wrote the introductory letter found in each book. The titles cover events and important figures from the beginning of slavery in America up through the Jim Crow era. A note encourages readers to view the photos and illustrations critically and additional reflection questions are scattered throughout the books. In 'Primary Source Voices, ' QR codes access recordings of formerly enslaved persons or other historical narratives, while the 'Take Action' section offers virtual trips to national historic sites and museums as well as ideas for how to become politically active. There is also a Read Woke reading list in the back matter of each title. VERDICT An important purchase for those who want to broaden the perspectives in their American History collection. --School Library Journal -- Journal (4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM)

Lewis' Read Woke brand grows with the addition of the American Slavery and the Fight for Freedom series (6 titles). This selection, though centered on the enslavement of Africans, is broad in its scope, starting with a nod to the 1619 Project and ending with a look at Black Lives Matter protests. The unifying thread is Black people's acts of resistance, both small and large, against having their rights and freedoms violated. Approaching the topic of slavery in this way marks a compelling shift in how this period of American history has traditionally been told. Indeed, Lewis tells it like it is ('Slavery was rooted in white supremacy') without letting the text become politically charged. A quick history of slavery is given before looking at rebellions, such as Joseph Cinque's 1839 uprising aboard the Amistad, the Underground Railroad, and the role of antislavery newspapers in achieving abolition. Also incorporated are primary sources (including QR codes to Library of Congress recordings and salient quotes), reflection and activism prompts, and a Read Woke reading list for those who want to learn more. An excellent starting point for researchers. --starred, Booklist -- (4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM) This series is part of the Read Woke Books imprint in partnership with Cicely Lewis, who wrote the introductory letter found in each book. The titles cover events and important figures from the beginning of slavery in America up through the Jim Crow era. A note encourages readers to view the photos and illustrations critically and additional reflection questions are scattered throughout the books. In 'Primary Source Voices, ' QR codes access recordings of formerly enslaved persons or other historical narratives, while the 'Take Action' section offers virtual trips to national historic sites and museums as well as ideas for how to become politically active. There is also a Read Woke reading list in the back matter of each title. VERDICT An important purchase for those who want to broaden the perspectives in their American History collection. --School Library Journal -- (4/1/2022 12:00:00 AM)

Author Information

Cicely Lewis is a school librarian with a passion for creating lovers of reading based in Georgia. In 2017, she started the Read Woke challenge in response to the shootings of young unarmed black people, the repeal of DACA, and the lack of diversity in young adult literature. She was named the 2020 National Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal and Scholastic, a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker and the 2019 National Teacher Award for Lifelong Readers by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and Penguin Random House (PRH).

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