Carole Boston Weatherford - Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Womans Case for Equality and Respect

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Discover the true story of the woman Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nicknamed Red because of her fiery spirit!
Mary Hamilton grew up knowing right from wrong. She was proud to be Black, and when the chance came along to join the Civil Rights Movement and become a Freedom Rider, she was eager to fight for what she believed in. Mary was arrested again and again-and she did not back down when faced with insults or disrespect. In an Alabama court, a white prosecutor called her by her first name, but she refused to answer unless he called her Miss Hamilton. The judge charged her with contempt of court, but that wasnt the end of it. Miss Mary Hamilton fought the contempt charge all the way to the Supreme Court.
Powerful free verse from Carole Boston Weatherford and striking scratchboard illustrations by Jeffery Boston Weatherford, accompanied by archival photographs, honor this unsung heroine who took a stand for respect-and won.
Born in 1935, African American Mary Hamilton experienced many forms of racism, but she was also taught in college that using Miss, Mrs., or Mr. was a sign of courtesy and respect. Employing short, accessible free verse, Weatherford introduces young readers to this lesser-known changemaker who challenged the court system for due respect. Following a brief look at Hamiltons early upbringing, the author focuses on Hamiltons activism in the civil rights movement. As a freedom rider and nonviolent protestor, she was arrested multiple times, and names became important to her, especially when white people called her and other Black Americans out of their names, addressing them as boy or auntie and more offensive slurs. Names were most important to her, however, when a white prosecutor in Alabama refused to call her Miss Hamilton. When she wouldnt respond, the judge held her in contempt of court. Undeterred, Hamilton fought her contempt charge all the way to the Supreme Court-and won! Because of the Miss Mary Case, all white prosecutors and judges addressed African Americans as Miss, Mrs., or Mr. from then on. Lending to this powerful story is mixed-media artwork that blends expressive black-and-white scratchboard illustrations with tinted photos from the time period. An authors note and time line, including photos of Hamilton, complete the compelling biography.-starred, Booklist
Mary Hamilton was a teacher, a Freedom Rider, a C.O.R.E. regional director, and an agent of change. Carole Boston Weatherfords (Unspeakable, rev. 1/21, and many others) poetic free-verse text provides readers with a brief sketch of Hamiltons extraordinary life before shifting focus to her judicial fight for dignity. Hamiltons nonviolent resistance to injustices of the Jim Crow South led to many encounters with Southern law enforcement, including several arrests, one of which had a resounding impact on the legal world. In an Alabama courtroom, when a white prosecutor disrespectfully called her by her first name, she refused to answer unless he called her Miss Hamilton, even when she was ordered by the judge to respond. Hamilton was held in contempt of court. The NAACP-backed lawsuits that followed led to an important Supreme Court ruling, which requires judges and lawyers to address all participants in a courtroom with dignity and respect. Jeffery Boston Weatherfords (You Can Fly, rev. 7/16) large, striking scratchboard and collage illustrations, which often incorporate archival photographs, complement the clear narrative. A variety of typefaces are used to accentuate the art and emphasize Hamiltons bold actions. A detailed timeline and a list of further reading round out this impressive volume.-The Horn Book Magazine
Young readers are introduced to the inspiring life of lesser-known civil rights leader Mary Hamilton.
Weatherford recounts that