This vivid graphic history is a remarkable achievement that belongs in classrooms, in personal and public libraries, and on coffee tables. Following a captivating ensemble of freedom fighters, it takes readers on a journey into cities and rural communities, military camps, homes, schools, lodges, churches, city council chambers, and the halls of Congress where Black freedom was constructed during emancipation and Reconstruction. Kate Masur’s eloquent and masterful storytelling is brought to life with Liz Clarke’s astonishing and moving illustrations. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. — Kidada E. Williams, author of I Saw Death Coming
The Reconstruction era was born from the tumult and violence of the Civil War and delivered the most powerful changes the United States had seen since its founding. Black Americans in Washington, D.C., and its surrounding region were at the heart of these transformations, bravely working to reunite their families, build their communities, and claim rights long denied them. Meanwhile, in the capital, government leaders struggled to reunite and remake the nation. Famous individuals such as Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells played central roles, as did lesser-known figures like Emma Brown, the first African American teacher in Washington’s public schools, and lawyer-journalist William Calvin Chase, longtime editor of the Washington Bee.
Freedom Was in Sight! draws on the words and experiences of people who lived during Reconstruction, powerfully narrating how the impacts of emancipation and civil war rippled outward for decades. This rich graphic history reveals the hopes and betrayals of a critical period in American history. [Adapted from publishers’ description.]
ISBN: 9781469680187 | University of North Carolina Press
Classroom Story
Freedom Was in Sight is an incredible resource. In my 13 years as an educator, it is rare to come across a graphic history that is so well researched and deeply engaging for students. This graphic history is a must read because it offers readers, particularly students, timeless lessons and hope for how to create a more inclusive and perfect union today.
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