by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Author) John Parra (Illustrator)
"A powerful story." --The Horn Book
"A worthy addition to children's biography collections." --Booklist
"A solid treatment of an important but little-known figure, and it may prompt kids to think about the role and composition of a free press." --BCCB
"Cline-Ransome tells [Ethel Payne's] story with economy and drive. 'Somebody had to do the fighting, ' she quotes Payne saying, 'somebody had to speak up.'" --Publishers Weekly
Renowned author Lesa Cline-Ransome and celebrated illustrator John Parra unite to tell the inspiring story of Ethel Payne, a groundbreaking African American journalist known as the First Lady of the Black Press.
"I've had a box seat on history."
Ethel Payne always had an ear for stories. Seeking truth, justice, and equality, Ethel followed stories from her school newspaper in Chicago to Japan during World War II. It even led her to the White House briefing room, where she broke barriers as the only black female journalist. Ethel wasn't afraid to ask the tough questions of presidents, elected officials, or anyone else in charge, earning her the title, "First Lady of the Black Press."
Fearless and determined, Ethel Payne shined a light on the darkest moments in history, and her ear for stories sought answers to the questions that mattered most in the fight for Civil Rights.
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Chances were few for young women of color around the Great Depression, but when Ethel L. Payne's (1911-1991) Chicago high school wouldn't let a black student work on its newspaper, she got it to publish her first story; then, during college, she took writing classes at a local school that offered free tuition. After organizing locally during WWII, she seized the opportunity to become a correspondent in Tokyo and found herself with sudden global influence: "One of Ethel's articles about black soldiers stationed in Japan had made its way across the seas." After several years writing for the Chicago Defender, a black newspaper, she was issued White House press credentials and served through four administrations. "I've had a box seat on history," she said, "and that's a rare thing." Folk-style portraits by Parra couple maturing images of Payne with historical emblems, and Cline-Ransome tells her story with economy and drive. "Somebody had to do the fighting," she quotes Payne saying, "somebody had to speak up." An author's note and bibliography conclude. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Gr 2-5—African American journalist Ethel L. Payne (1911-91) "collected the stories of people who followed a path paved with dreams." Her interest in oral histories started at an early age—her grandparents shared their experiences laboring in the cotton fields under slavery, and her parents told stories of their sharecropping days. Payne may have grown up poor, but her childhood was rich in language and love. Every Saturday, Payne's mother took her daughter and her five siblings to the libraries on the white side of town. Payne's English teacher encouraged her to write, and, eventually, the all-white school newspaper published her first story. Payne lost her father at an early age and endured bigotry and discrimination. But none of these hardships stopped her from pursuing her dreams. She went to college, fought racism, and shattered barriers to become the only black female journalist in the White House briefing room. She fearlessly asked tough questions of the elected officials and helped to enact change in the country. In Payne's quest for civil rights, she became known as the "First Lady of the Black Press." Told in a matter-of-fact style, accompanied by rich acrylics, Payne's biography is brought to life for young students who may not know about the impact she made for journalists of color. VERDICT A strong addition to an elementary library biography collection.—Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY
Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.