Oh, Freedom!: Kids Talk About the Civil Rights Movement with the People Who Made It Happen

by Casey King, Linda Barrett Osborne

Now in paperback--a personal look at the civil rights movement of the 1950s and '60s told through dozens of interviews conducted by Washington, D.C., fourth graders with their parents, grandparents, neighbors, and others who helped fight the battle against segregation and changed the course of history. With a foreword by Rosa Parks, three introductory essays, and over 40 archival photographs, this thoughtful, compelling, and educational book pays tribute to the many ordinary people who dedicated themselves to the cause of freedom and the fight for equality.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, American History, Cultural, Chapter Books, Teaching, Childrens

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 1997

Reviews

[Gabrielle]

Hearing the personal accounts of everyday people who experienced the the civil rights movement brings this time in history out of textbooks, documentaries and time capsules to life. The writers conduct their interviews with remarkable thoughtfulness and with curious innocence. In the classroom the interviews will spark conversation around specific events of the movement and serve as a model for interviews in a writing workshop.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg

Yes it's from 1997, but some of the eyewitnesses and participants who were interviewed were relatively young at the time and are likely still alive. I do feel bad that so many were so hopeful... and we've seen too little progress since then. (So-called Law Enforcement officers have always been a very big part of the problem, for example.) The book is still extremely relevant; it's not just an important historical document (though it is that, too).

I love that the group interviews such a variety of people. A black ballerina, a white nun, a Jewish man who was a college student at Berkeley, an Hispanic couple who were both victims & activists, well-known people and moms & dads, even a former member of the KKK!.

It's divided into sections, which are introduced with contextual history primers.

Brown v. Board of Education of 1954 was a unanimous decision: "all nine justices, including three from the South, had voted to end school segregation."

"If you want peace, work for justice."

I'm particularly impressed by a photo from Selma, of one of MLK's marches just before the troopers attacked. The photographer caught a billboard proclaiming: "The Selma National Bank welcomes you to Selma. The city with 100% human interest!"

Includes a bibliography, timeline, index, and 'further reading' section.

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting way of teaching kids about the Civil Rights Movement.

[Amanda]

Pairing and Overview: I will pair Oh, Freedom!: Kids Talk About The Civil Rights Movement With the People Who Made It Happen by Casey King with the movie 42. The film addresses a very specific part of segregation (and its demise), and this pairing would add to the scope of knowledge and experiences pertaining to the civil rights movement.

1. Book Citation: King, Casey. Oh, Freedom!: Kids Talk About The Civil Rights Movement With the
People Who Made It Happen. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1997.

2. Audience: Middle school and junior high students who are interested in gaining a deeper and
possibly more personal understanding of life during segregation and the civil rights movement. It
contains voices of children and adults in an interview format that is relatable and accessible for young readers. However, younger readers may need support with the accompanying essays.

3. Selection Criteria: Although the publication date lacks currency, the subject matter of this text
continues to be appropriate today. The information presented is predominantly primary source
material provided by interviews with adults who participated in the civil rights movement. The
author, Casey King, is not only an author but a historian, and has held notable positions at both
Harvard and Yale. The book is published by Knopf, which is part of the Knopf Doubleday
Publishing Group at Random House, a very reputable publisher. Oh, Freedom! is relevant to the US
History curriculum as seen below and may also appeal to the personal histories of many students and
faculty. According to Accelerated Reader, this text is of upper grade interest level and middle grade reading level, which is appropriate for many junior high students. The scope is both limited and enhanced by the personal experiences of those who are interviewed; the primary source material is valuable and interesting, but has the potential to be biased because it is based on personal
experiences. The book won the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award in 1997 and has been featured on
numerous Best Books lists, including the H.W. Wilson Middle and Junior High School Library
Catalog (Eighth and Ninth Editions), 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Read (2006,
Cooperative Children’s Book Center), Books in the Middle: Outstanding Books (1997) and
Outstanding Nonfiction for Middle School Students (1998) (VOYA), and School Library Journal
Book Review Stars (June 1997). Overall, this book adds value to the collection by providing
accessible and interesting accounts of events during the civil rights movement that may otherwise be
lacking, and by supporting the US History curriculum.

4. Review Source: Rochman, Hazel. Booklist, April 1, 1997 (Vol. 93, No.15)

5. SOL Connection: USII.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of how life changed after the
Civil War by c) describing racial segregation, the rise of “Jim Crow,” and other constraints faced by African Americans and other groups in the post-Reconstruction South.

6. Ordering Information: Oh, Freedom!: Kids Talk About The Civil Rights Movement With the People Who Made It Happen. Hardcover. Nonfiction. 1997. 144p. Knopf. $19.21.
978-0613056212.

[Taneka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Students at St. Anthony’s Grade School in Washington, D.C. completed an assignment about Segregation and The Civil Rights Movement. To learn more they interviewed people that took part in the movement or knew someone that did. Kids range from grades 4-8 and their interviews have been compiled into one book. The interviews are preceded by background information about the different phases of the movement. Interviews included a former Klansman who is now a minister of an interracial church, a federal worker that joined the Nation of Islam and a Former Black Panther member among many other interviews.

Personal Response:
I thought it was great lesson to have the kids conduct the interviews. I was able to see what the kids thought and see what they really wanted to know. These were their questions, not questions that someone else, presumably an adult, was asking on their behalf. I did not know that there was a riot in D. C. when King was assassinated, but I could feel Kathleen O’Neill’s pain at seeing such suffering and feeling compelled to do something. I felt the same way after the World Trade Center collapse, Hurricane Katrina flooding, Haiti earthquake and Japan tsunami. You just want to give and help those in need. This book will appeal to children because children are the one’s conducting the interviews. It is their voice and most kids like seeing themselves in books. I also think that this would make a great lesson plan, even today. Who knows what stories students parents, grandparents and great-grandparents have to tell them about their participation in the movement. I am interested in what my Aunts and Uncles have to say about their participation in the movement and will be asking them over Christmas.

Evaluative Critique:
The information section is accurate. It provides a background on organizations such as the NAACP and Black Panther Party, so that readers have a better understanding of what the interviewees are discussing. This book provides information about the Civil Rights Movement from more than one perspective. The interviewees are Black, White, Asian and Hispanic, there is a mixture of men and women and persons from diverse religious backgrounds, Muslim, Christian and other. Those that participated in the movement are highly qualified to speak on this subject. Controversial subjects are included. For example, one of the interviewees was a former Klansman; another was a part of the Black Panther Party, and one actually was a militant who did not want to integrate. The reader may be encouraged to conduct their own interviews to see how their family members or neighbors participated in the movement.

[Phuong Dao · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried when I read this book because some of the picture made me feel really sad. When I was in high school I learned about the civil rights movement but I didn't really go deeper into details behind the whole story. As read through this book I was able to see different perspective from different people during the time of the civil rights movement. I can't believe during this time they made playgound out of cinder for the children to play on. How dirty and filthy it was but yet they made it for the children to play at the playground. I believe freedom is not free at all. The bombing at the church and the bus really made me upset. I think this book is an eye open for me. I definitely would use it to explain in further detail for my students about the civil rights movement.

[Katherine Fountain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, Freedom! is such an amazing book with an inspirational creation! As a future educator, I love how the fourth grade teacher encouraged his students to learn more about the civil rights through first hand accounts when he discovered the lack of quality texts on the subject. I love how this book includes so many real photographs--some disturbing--yet, all illustrating the good and the bad of the civil rights movement in America. I also love that the view points are from many different types of groups including African-Americans, Caucasians, Latinos, children, activists, etc. This really shows the multiple perspectives on the subject. This book will definitely be in my classroom library! Highly recommended!

[Jessica Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful for teaching the Civil Rights movement. There are actual interviews from people who were involved in segregation and how everything affected them personally. Also, there are historical facts throughout the book about important people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. I would definitely read this book to my class because the children can connection with the interviews on an emotional level and realize that the movement to end segregation wasn't easy. I feel like this book would help children understand the civil rights movement and why it was such an important part in our history.

[Nicole Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that shows multiple perspectives about the Civil Rights movement. It shows personal accounts of people during the Civil Rights movement and the things that happened during the time. This book can be used in so many ways in the classroom. It can be used as a primary source because they are personal accounts. I think that the teacher can read two or three stories a day to the class and have discussions about them. This can show students have everone has a story no matter which side you are on and how important it is to know all the sides of the story before making judgement. So many "Critical Classroom" lessons can be implemented through this book.

[Lana Clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want my future students to learn about the civil rights movement through other children's voices. This book does simply that. It is a compilation of interviews given by children. The children give voice to everyday people who encourtered the civil rights movement-- first hand. The stories revealed in this text are up-close and personal-- and guaranteed to have gone unnoticed by mainstream media. As an extension to this reading, I would ask my students to conduct their own interviews with family and community members that have lived through the movement and still have stories to share. What better way to bring our history to student's present-day awareness?

[Lindsay Bunchman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic teaching tool! It is a perfect addition to teaching students about Slavery, the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the specifics of racist laws in the United States. This complex book contains detailed yet brief descriptions that provide background information on these historical events for students. The personal and honest accounts of the events from those involved make the text much more meaningful and memorable for students. Additionally, the real photos provided add context and meaning to the horrific events, especially for visual learners.

[Lucia Benzor · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great idea for a book. Although it looks big, kids can read just a few interviews to get to see multiple perspectives and understand the different experiences of the people involved. What helps make this book even more special, and one of the reasons why I would include it in a Civil Rights unit in Soc. Studies, is because of the wonderful photographs. Real pictures always make any situation much more real and easier to understand. I would love to put these pictures together and create a photo essay for the kids at the start of the unit.

[Brittany White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Social Studies Implementation: The interview format of this book provides a basis for a literacy component to a Civil Rights lesson using this book. Students are offered multiple perspectives from another time. The interviews also are so diverse from one another, so students are exposed to different points of view on the same topic. This book is honest in nature, and that lends itself a rare benefit to children. This book would be an excellent student exploration resource. It could be the focus of a small group wherein which children read, analyze, and respond.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing because it shows different interviews with people who were involved in the movement: Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, and Whites. It shows the different perspectives of these people during that time. In the book, the Latinos talked about education and a white man talked about being part of the KKK. I would definitely use this book for my students to read and see the different perspectives. It teaches us so much about racism and segregation and that it affects everyone, not just one group.

[Lita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I love how it tells about the events of the Civil Rights Movement and then follows up with a student reporter interviewing an actual participant or someone who lived in the time when the major events of the Civil Rights Movement. It provides the students a chance to see a complex situation through the eyes of another child. I really enjoyed seeing the one situation from many multiple perspectives. I was amazed at how the events of the Civil Rights Movement turned a member of the KKK from his ways and taught him to appreciate all life.

[Codie Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great concept for a book. The author, Casey King, sent his fourth grade class out to interview relatives and friends about the Civil Rights Movements. What I like about this book is that before each set of interviews, there is background history to the events. The material is easy to read and understand, something that is important in a teaching tool.

I also loved the interviews. The students really seemed to grasp what was going on during that time and felt the pain of the people who had to live it. A beautiful collection.

[Whitney White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book to implement during a Civil Rights lesson! It contains personal interviews of actual people that lived during segregation and the Civil Rights movement. I am a visual learner and enjoyed the explicit photos. It is rare to actually see African Americans having food dumped on their heads while placing an order. It is simply astounding. The students would definitely be intrigued to see how different culture was only 50 years ago.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about the civl rights movement throughout interviews conducted by children. THe children in the book interview family members of famous family friends that lived during the civil rights era. Each interview sheds light to different aspects of the civil rights era. There are interviewed that describe the children's march, Montgomery Bus Boycott and other events that the civil rights era is comprised of.

[Tania]

When I first saw this book I was like Oh, No, but this a very powerful book. It has facts and information from people who lived during the time period to share their personal stories. The book is filled with many great pictures and it has a lot of interviews in their from all different people. Children act these out in their classroom as skits and the teacher could use this as a teaching tool. I would use this to teach about civil rights.

[Amanda Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must use book for teaching Civil Rights, especially in 5th grade. This book as a series of interviews from a wide variety of people involved in the Civil Rights movement. Many of these people are not well knowns, but they each played a part. I think it makes it much more personable for students to learn about history through other people's biographies. It makes it more real, and they can learn details about what went on, and how so many people were affected by this time period.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a great book to add to any 5th grade classroom. I loved reading this book because it has multiple perspective with child prompted interviews. It has authentic pictures that make the stories even more imaginable. Also it has a narration of factual events that happened during the Civil Rights, this helps make each interview even more reputable. Would love to use this book to have an Reader's Theater in my future classroom. :)

[Marit]

Wow! This book was really special, I was so touched by all the interviews by the children. I could not put the book away! In Norway we have not learned so much about the civil rights movement, so for me it is very unknown and almost kind of hard to read about because it brings up many emotions. I think this book could be great to use in the Social Studies class with the children because it is actually children that is interviewing the adults in the book.

[Chanelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. I like that they focus to book around children and ask their opinions about the civil rights movement. I think that is important. You only here stories about children who were hurt or who made a difference in the movement, but I don't think I have ever heard about how they felt or what they thought. I would definitely use this book to discuss the civil rights movement with my class. It is very inspiring and I think the students would appreciate history more.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was cleaning out my book shelves when I found this book. A friend has moved and left me piles to look through. I kept this one to read and I am glad that I did.

This a book for kids about the Civil Rights Movement. Between the short history lessons, kids interview people, sometimes their parents or teachers, about what they did during that time.

It was a moving book. Short but full of great stuff.

I'm glad I read it before I passed it one for another person to enjoy.

[Tynisha Thompkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book....a great African American History book that voices perspectives from mutiple, "EVERYDAY" people who actually experienced the Civil Rights Movement for themselves. This book goes beyond the well-known heroes/change agents(such as MLK, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, ect.) by allowing others to be heard as well!

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the students interview people who lived and fought for civil rights, you get to see the "eureka" moments going off in the interviewers heads. I would probably use parts of this book, maybe have students read different interviews and then discuss them in a literature circle within a social studies class.

[Liliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is wonderful to use when learning about the Civil Rights Movement. The book contains different interviews of people who were a part of the Civil Rights Movement. Students could use this book to "role-play" by having an interview session in a social studies class. They can either read the interviews in the book or they can use the book to create their own interviews.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this is a great collection memories about the civil rights movement. I think that it would be a great idea to use this book as an introduction into an interview lesson for our future students. The students could interview people around the school and ask them questions about the civil rights, their thoughts, and feelings.

[Christine Levinge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so wonderful because it consists of interviews between children and influential characters in the Civil Rights Movement. This book can be introduced to show students how so many various people played an important role in this movement, aside from the most notable ones, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. This helps gives students a glimpse of the more unspoken heroes.

[Shaheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a brilliant work of literature. Superb way to gain understanding about Civil Rights Movements for teachers and everyone. Inspiring interviews. Very deep. Loved the artifact of an ad in the book to show a glimps of how the world was. Every event in the book is a journey from peace to protest to rights. Mske me think how every people were changing agents and now are our heros.