Overview

In 1870 Benjamin Turner, who spent the first 40 years of his life as a slave, was elected to the U.S. Congress. He was the first African American from Alabama to earn that distinction. In a recreation of Turner's own words, based on speeches and other writings that Turner left behind, co-authors Marti S. Rosner and Frye Gaillard have crafted the story of a remarkable man who taught himself to read when he was young and began a lifetime quest for education and freedom. As a candidate for Congress, and then as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Turner rejected the idea of punishing his white neighbors who fought for the Confederacy—and thus for the continuation of slavery—believing they had suffered enough. At the same time, he supported the right to vote for former slaves, opposed a cotton tax that he thought was hurtful to small and especially black farmers, supported racially mixed schools, and argued that land should be set aside for former slaves so they could build a new life for themselves. In this bicentennial season for the state of Alabama, the authors celebrate the life of a man who rejected bitterness even as he pursued his own dreams. His is a story of determination and strength, the story of an American hero from the town of Selma, Alabama, who worked to make the world a better place for people of all races and backgrounds.

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9781588383563

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Reviews

Benjamin Sterling Turner's story is a celebration of imagination, hope, determination, hard work, and most of all, freedom. It has the power to help readers see enslaved people not as a homogeneous group, but as real, relatable individuals with feelings and dreams. Readers will be inspired! A solid choice for home and school libraries. -- Irene Latham, author of Can I Touch Your Hair? and Leaving Gee's Bend Rosner and Gaillard have crafted a remarkable, vivid journey through the hard, often unfair life of Benjamin Sterling Turner and how he used wisdom, hard work and perseverance to triumph over oppression. -- Jim Murphy, two-time Newbery Honor Book and Sibert Award-winning author How wonderful to discover an important, but not yet celebrated African American whose life confirms for young readers that anything is possible. -- Doreen Rappaport, author of Frederick's Journey: The Life of Frederick Douglass Here is a book that tells a lesser-known story as powerful as that of Frederick Douglass. The Slave Who Went to Congress is the inspiring true account of Benjamin Sterling Turner of Alabama, who after living enslaved for forty years became the the second African American to serve in the U.S. Congress. And it was learning to read that altered Turner's life! Beautifully written and illustrated. -- Maryann Macdonald, coauthor of The Little Piano Girl Young readers will be inspired by this unsung American hero's story of strength and courage against impossible odds. Waging a battle against slavery and racism, Benjamin Turner defied--in his own quiet, determined way--every slave code, every regulation, and every affront to his humanity. In this remarkable true tale, Turner's spirit talks to us! Thanks to the authors for expressing his story so beautifully. -- Joyce Hansen, author of Which Way Freedom? and other books for young readers Needed now more than ever comes a powerful chapter in American history to share with young readers. This book is a gem. -- Rita Williams-Garcia, three-time Coretta Scott King Author Award winner A little known story of light and hope emerges from a dark period of American history. After the Civil War, Benjamin Sterling Turner, a former slave, overcame racial and political injustice to become a community leader and win the support of his black and white neighbors. In an unlikely victory, he became the first African American congressman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama. Turner's inspiring courage and hard work as well as his gifts for oratory reminds us of the strength of the human spirit. -- Robbin Gourley, author and illustrator of Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Pie: A Story About Edna Lewis Gaillard and Rosner bring the struggles and amazing accomplishments of Benjamin Sterling Turner to life in this beautiful text. The authors' extensive research into the writings of Mr. Turner result in a book that reads like a personal journal written by Turner himself. Readers will leave this book with great appreciation for this former slave, who in 1870 became Alabama's first black member of Congress. -- Lester Laminack, author of Three Hens and a Peacock and other books for adults and young readers Explore the life and times of Benjamin Sterling Turner, an extraordinary man with a kind heart and a level head who fought for equality and civil rights, becoming one of the first black Americans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1870. In this illustrated biography with expressive portraiture and moving scenes, Turner's determination, compassion, and intellect shine bright as he moves from his birth into slavery to becoming a free man and respected leader. -- Foreword Reviews

Gaillard and Rosner bring the struggles and amazing accomplishments of Benjamin Sterling Turner to life in this beautiful text. The authors' extensive research into the writings of Mr. Turner result in a text that reads like a personal journal written by Turner himself. Readers will leave this text with great appreciation for this former slave who in 1870 became Alabama's first black member of Congress. -- Lester Laminack, Professor Emeritus, Western Carolina University, author and consultant Benjamin Sterling Turner's story is a celebration of imagination, hope, determination, hard work, and most of all, freedom. It has the power to help readers see enslaved people not as a homogeneous group, but as real, relatable individuals with feelings and dreams. Readers will be inspired! A solid choice for home and school libraries. -- Irene Latham, author of Can I Touch Your Hair? and Leaving Gee's Bend A little known story of light and hope emerges from a dark period of American history. After the civil war, Benjamin Sterling Taylor, a former slave, overcame racial and political injustice to become a community leader and win the support of his black and white neighbors. In an unlikely victory, he became the first African American congressman elected to the US House of Representatives from Alabama. Taylor's inspiring courage and hard work as well as his gifts for oratory reminds us of the strength and power of the human spirit. -- Robbin Gourley, author and illustrator of Bring Me Some Apples and I'll Make You a Piece, a Story About Edna Lewis Young readers will be inspired by this unsung American hero's story of strength and courage against impossible odds. Waging a battle against slavery and racism, Benjamin Turner defied--in his own quiet, determined way--every slave code, every regulation, and every affront to his humanity. In this remarkable true tale, Turner's spirit talks to us! Thanks to the authors for expressing his story so beautifully. -- Joyce Hansen, author of Which Way Freedom?

Author Information

Frye Gaillard (Author) FRYE GAILLARD is a former writer-in-residence in the English and history departments at the University of South Alabama. He is the author of thirty books, including With Music and Justice for All: Some Southerners and Their Passions; Cradle of Freedom: Alabama and the Movement That Changed America, winner of the Lillian Smith Book Award; The Dream Long Deferred: The Landmark Struggle for Desegregation in Charlotte, North Carolina, winner of the Gustavus Myers Award; and A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s (Georgia), an NPR best book of 2018. He lives in Mobile, Alabama. Marti Rosner (Author) MARTI ROSNER has been an educator for 41 years. She has worked as a classroom teacher, District Academic Coach serving Title I schools in Cobb County, Georgia, and most recently led writing workshops for teachers and students at her granddaughter’s elementary school. Through the years, she has also enjoyed leading a variety of professional development classes, serving as a Teacher Consultant for the National Writing Project, and training teachers across the country as a curriculum specialist for Sundance-Newbridge, an educational publishing company. Her two grandchildren keep her active, as they love spending time outdoors. She keeps herself active by reading, writing, and traveling. When she sits still, she enjoys her home in Marietta, Georgia.

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