Module 11: We've Got a Job: the 1963 Birmingham Children's March

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Book Summary: This book gives a detailed look at the Birmingham Children's March that took place in 1963. It gives the reader a look at the march from the perspective of four different people who were children in different parts of the black community in Birmingham at the time. It offers multiple perspectives on the children's march, from why children chose to march in the first place to the perspectives of those who opposed expanding civil rights to include African Americans. The book is organized for the most part chronologically, walking the reader through the events leading up to and through the children's march, detailing the victories and setbacks along the way. It also includes a timeline, map of downtown Birmingham that shows where some of the children's march took place, and an index that is helpful in finding information.

APA Reference of the book: Levinson, C. (2012). We've got a job: the 1963 Birmingham children's march. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.

Impressions: This book was one that I enjoyed reading and that kept me interested throughout. It provided a balance between the personal narrative of the four people interviewed for the book and the facts and figures related to the events of the march. I also liked that it provided a look at the attitudes of Bull Connor and the others who opposed the civil rights movement, and why they felt that way. It also provided a look at the few white people in Birmingham who were in favor of the civil rights movement but were reasonably afraid of the KKK and the others who would violently oppose them. Overall, I think the book provided a balanced look at a volatile time in U.S. history, and gives a variety of perspectives on a complex issue.

Professional Review: "Gr 7 Up--This photo-essay stands out for its engrossing content, excellent composition, and riveting use of primary-source material. Covering the history of the Birmingham Children's March from inception to full impact, Levinson traces the stories of four young people between the ages of 9 and 15 in 1963. Audrey Hendricks, Washington Booker III, Arnetta Streeter, and James Stewart came from very different segments of the city's black community, but all risked their lives and spent time in jail to fight for their freedom. Tracing their different routes to activism and melding it beautifully into the larger history of race relations in Birmingham and in the American South, the author creates a multidimensional picture of the times and the forces at work. Interviews with the four principals, one of whom died in 2009, give the narrative power and immediacy. Reproductions of period photos, notices, and documents provide additional insight. The map of downtown Birmingham, with locations mentioned in the text delineated, is a great help in placing both photos and text in a landscape. With a helpful list of abbreviations, excellent source notes, photo credits, a fine bibliography, and a comprehensive index, this a great research source, but it's also just plain thought-provoking reading about a time that was both sobering and stirring. Recommended for middle and high school library collections to stand together with Charlayne Hunter-Gault's To the Mountaintop (Roaring Brook, 2012), Ann Bausum's Marching to the Mountaintop (National Geographic, 2012), and Larry Dane Brimner's Black & White: The Confrontation Between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor (Boyds Mills, 2011)."

Welton, A. (2012). [Review of We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March by Cynthia Levinson]. School Library Journal, (58)5, p. 130. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library uses: This would be a great book to include in a display about the civil rights movement. It would also be good to use when discussing with students the difference people their age can make in the world.