Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

There are many great women of black history including trailblazers like Harriet Tubman, who literally blazed a trail to freedom for hundreds of slaves.

There is also Ruby Bridges, who at the age of six became the first student to  attend an all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana. Many white parents protested outside of the school, and Ruby had to be escorted by U.S. marshals to ensure her safety. Ruby’s courage and grace was instrumental in gaining educational equality for all children, regardless of race.

These women and more are featured in the picture book Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. Some of the 40 women highlighted in the book include:

• Alice Ball – a chemist and medical researcher who developed a treatment for leprosy
• Marcelite Harris – An Air Force general who became the highest ranking woman at the Department of Defense
• Bessie Coleman – he first black woman to receive an international pilot’s license
• Augusta Savage – Educator and sculptor whose work The Harp, was exhibited at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.
• Ida B. Wells – an activist and journalist who took a stance against lynching and faced many death threats. She also was the owner and editor of the publication Memphis Free Speech and Headlight

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History is not like most picture books; the book is 87 pages long and not a book to be read in one sitting.  That, however is what makes it a great book. It covers many important black women in history that parents and others can read to children over time.

Little Leaders is a book that all children, whether black or white, girl or boy should read because the majority of the women in the book are not ones that our children will read about in their school history books. It’s a wonderful book for bedtime, for school projects or simply to educate children on great people in U.S. history. This gem of a book will no doubt broaden the minds and lives of any young child that reads it.

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