Reviews

I never knew about this story from New York. The illustrations are very detailed with such good expressions that it helps tell the story. I think it is important to add to a library collection to help show how long Black people have had to fight for equal rights and against racism even in places where they were legally free.

shayemiller's review against another edition

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4.0

In 1854, twenty-four year old Lizzie Jennings was kicked off a streetcar, illegally. The rules were that Black people could ride the regular streetcars as long as no Whites objected. She’d been born free and was a respectable school teacher. And no one objected to her riding. After her dismissal, a white man ran up to her and gave her his contact information in case she wanted him to testify on her behalf. And on February 22, 1855, her court case, Jennings v. Third Avenue Railroad Company, was heard and won. It was the first recorded court case won in the fight for equal rights on public transportation — 100 years before the well-known Rosa Parks encounter. The back matter provides far more details, including the fact that her attorney, Chester A. Arthur, went on to become the 21st President of the United States. In addition to the Author’s Note, there’s also a Bibliography, and an Artist’s Note. The soft illustrations for this book were done in watercolor on hot-press paper.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!

bethmitcham's review

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4.0

More new history for me through picture books! This time I learned about an early (not the first) court case around segregated street cars -- 1854 in New York City. Lizzy Jennings was a Black women from a well-off family that was involved in abolition work. When she was roughly tossed off a streetcar by an obnoxious conductor, she sued and won damages, which started the momentum for more lawsuits that ended with New York having desegregated cars in 1873. (not quite 20 years!) The text ends with the idea that Jennings was part of a wave of courageous push-backs that lasted years and decades and centuries, building forward. The afterward gives more details about dates of actual cases, through the Montgomery cases of Colvin and Parks.

The illustrations are vivid watercolor (?) -- always take my naming of techniques as guesses rather than real life. The artist does mention that she reached for more vivid colors because she wanted to reflect how outspoken Jennings and her story should appear. I appreciate the rich use of browns for the main characters (especially because of the my recent read of [b:Beautiful Shades of Brown: Laura Wheeler Waring, Artist|51793374|Beautiful Shades of Brown Laura Wheeler Waring, Artist|Nancy Churnin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573866043l/51793374._SX50_SY75_.jpg|71338384]).

The back matter has rich primary and secondary sources and discusses the limits of the court record as well as what is known vs assumed, and then discusses the overall history of public transport legislation. Apparently Lizzie Jennings is now honored at the spot where she was assaulted by the conductor thanks to repeated efforts by school children, and she is also one of the first women honored by the "She Built NYC" program with a statue.

tashrow's review

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4.0

In 1854, Lizzie Jennings boarded a streetcar in New York City. In that time, there was segregation on public transportation which was a custom not a law. Certain cars were marked for “colored people” and others were for white people who could allow people of color to ride, or not. So Lizzie didn’t know if she would be allowed to ride the car she boarded. No passengers disputed her right to ride, but the conductor did. He forced her off the car and when she argued and boarded again, the police were called. Lizzie was educated as a teacher and her family had fought for their civil rights, so she decided to fight back in court and sued the streetcar company. She even had a white passenger who offered to be a witness to the way she was treated that day. In the end, Jennings won a landmark case for civil rights in public transportation. It didn’t fix every streetcar in New York right away, but led to other people fighting for their rights to ride too.

Anderson takes one of the first legal victories against segregation and creates a dynamic look at a critical moment in our national history. This little-known event, particularly compared to Rosa Parks, helps set the stage for the civil rights movement that followed. Lizzie also breaks stereotypes of African Americans on her time period with her level of education and wealth.

The illustrations are done in watercolor with amazing backgrounds that illuminate the scenes with their inspiring colors. Lizzie and her battle are surrounded by swirls of peach, lavenders, pinks and blues with her at the center, calm and composed.

A stirring picture book that captures early civil rights efforts. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

wylaina's review

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5.0

Good into into Civil Rights in the late 1800s. Ms. Jennings is a great historical figure and deserves to be recongnized.

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