Step by Step: How the Lincoln School Marchers Blazed a Trail to Justice
Nationwide — Ohio Humanities and Daydreamers Press has released a new nonfiction picture book for young readers, Step by Step: How the Lincoln School Marchers Blazed a Trail to Justice. This book tells the real story of one of the longest-sustained demonstrations of the civil rights movement through the eyes of a real-life child marcher. It is written by New York Times bestselling author Debbie Rigaud and Carlotta Penn, and illustrated by Nysha Lilly.
After the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, Black mothers in Hillsboro, Ohio fought to integrate their children into the all-white Webster Elementary School. Despite facing resistance from the local school board, this group of mothers and children continued to march daily to Webster in demand of equal education for two years. The efforts led to them being joined by NAACP lawyers Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley. The lawsuit they filed became one of the first national test cases of the Brown decision. Step by Step recounts this event from the perspective of Joyce Clemons, one of the women who marched for integration as a child.
Ohio Humanities Executive Director Rebecca Brown Asmo stated, “Ohio Humanities is proud to partner with Daydreamers Press to ensure that this story is not forgotten. By following in Joyce’s footsteps, today’s young readers will see how brave mothers and students just like them changed the course of history.”
Author Debbie Rigaud and coauthor Carlotta Penn capture the voice of a young activist in the book, emphasizing the power of Black mothers’ leadership. Expressive illustrations by Nysha Lilly, along with historical primary sources interspersed throughout the book, immerse readers in the Lincoln School Marchers’ fight. Authors Rigaud and Penn aim to convey the challenges the marchers faced with the uplifting joy of a united community, encouraging readers to “keep on marching” for justice.
Step by Step is available to booksellers through Daydreamers Press and Ingram Content Group. For individual purchases and more information, visit OhioHumanities.org/stepbystep
Ohio Humanities is a statewide nonprofit that shares stories to spark conversations and inspire ideas by hosting programs and awarding grants that support storytellers statewide. For more information, visit OhioHumanities.org
Daydreamers Press is a Black woman-owned children’s book publisher in Columbus, Ohio, with a focus on telling stories of multicultural communities for children through books and other media. For more information, visit DayDreamersPress.com
For press inquiries, contact daydreamerspress@gmail.com
