Sweet Land of Liberty

By Hopkinson, Deborah & Jenkins, Leonard

Publishers Summary:
This inspiring story of little-known civil rights champion Oscar Chapman and his role in Marian Anderson's concert at the Lincoln Memorial reminds readers that one person can truly make a difference. On Easter Sunday 1939, Marian Anderson performed at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in front of a crowd of over 75,000 people. The person largely responsible for putting her there was a white man, Oscar Chapman, assistant secretary of the interior under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. When Chapman learned that Marian Anderson was not allowed to sing at Constitution hall because of the color of her skin, he took it upon himself to do the impossible: find Marian Anderson an appropriate venue for a concert and make an important statement about equality and the rights of all Americans. With support from the highest levels of U.S. government, Chapman helped produce a landmark concert that-for at least one evening-bridged the color divide to bring a city and much of the nation together. Author Deborah Hopkinson tells the inspirational story of Oscar Chapman, including his childhood exposure to racism that led to his lifelong commitment to ending bigotry. An author's note provides additional historical context. Illustrator Leonard Jenkins remarkable illustrations recreate a bygone era and pay tribute to remarkable real-life people and a magical moment in modern history.

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ISBN
978-1-56145-395-5
Publisher
Peachtree Publishers


REVIEWS

Library Journal

Reviewed on April 9, 2007

Hopkinson's (Sky Boys) accessible, conversational narrative relays the little-known story of Oscar Chapman who, as a white boy in racially charged post-Civil War Virginia, was asked by his teacher to select a picture to decorate the bare walls of his two-room schoolhouse. In a junk shop, Oscar chooses a picture of Abraham Lincoln, not realizing that this is a portrait of the recent controversial president. The boy is expelled temporarily for his selection, and realizes that he "had seen injustice all around him. And now he was bei...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Horn Book Guide

Reviewed on January 1, 2007

FDR's assistant secretary of the interior, Oscar Chapman, was instrumental in organizing Marian Anderson's 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert. This ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

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