Sweet Land of Liberty

Sweet Land of Liberty

Sweet Land of Liberty

Authors
Deborah Hopkinson
Date Published
2007
Synopsis
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 man 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 US 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 Chapmanincluding his childhood exposures to racism that led to his lifelong commitment to ending bigotry. An authors 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.
Book Details
Number of Pages
32
Format
Hardcover
Publisher
Peachtree
Language
en