Ida B. Wells Marches for the Vote
CCBC Review:
Born in Mississippi, Ida B. Wells was a baby when the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people. Growing up in this period of imperfect freedom had an impact on Wells’s parents and how they raised Ida and her siblings. They modeled the importance of striving to do the right thing no matter the consequence, such as when her father voted for the first time, even though it meant that his white boss fired him. As Ida came of age, she also made brave choices and used her voice to make a difference in her work as a teacher, caretaker for her siblings, and editorial writer and journalist taking on racial and gender injustice. This picture book account focuses on Ida’s involvement in the 1913 women’s suffrage march in Washington, D.C. The march was organized by the National American Woman Suffrage Association, which was a whites-only group. Despite their exclusion, a small number of Black women had traveled to the nation’s capital to participate. The Black marchers were relegated to the back of the parade, but Ida made her way to the front to walk arm in arm with the other white suffragists from Illinois. Historical information and lyrical sentiments are tightly woven in this compelling text about a female Black activist. Oil paintings rich in color and action portray important scenes from Ida’s life and times. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Jerry Jordan
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 7-12
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
Activism and Resistance
African Americans
Biography
U.S. History
Voting Rights/Elections
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publishers:
Christy Ottaviano Books, Little, Brown
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 48
ISBN: 9780316322478
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 920 Wells