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That They Lived: African Americans Who Changed the World
In February 2017, Rochelle Riley was reading Twitter posts and came across a series of black-and-white photos of four-year-old Lola dressed up as different African American women who had made history. Rochelle was immediately smitten. She was so proud to see this little girl so powerfully honor the struggle and achievement of women several decades her senior. Rochelle reached out to Lola's mom, Cristi Smith-Jones, and asked to pair her writing with Smith-Jones's incredible photographs for a book. The goal? To teach children on the cusp of puberty that they could be anything they aspired to be, that every famous person was once a child who, in some cases, overcame great obstacles to achieve.
That They African Americans Who Changed the World features Riley's grandson, Caleb, and Lola photographed in timeless black and white, dressed as important individuals such as business owners, educators, civil rights leaders, and artists, alongside detailed biographies that begin with the figures as young children who had the same ambitions, fears, strengths, and obstacles facing them that readers today may still experience. Muhammad Ali's bike was stolen when he was twelve years old and the police officer he reported the crime to suggested he learn how to fight before he caught up with the thief. Bessie Coleman, the first African American female aviator, collected and washed her neighbors' dirty laundry so she could raise enough money for college. When Duke Ellington was seven years old, he preferred playing baseball to attending the piano lessons his mom had arranged.
That They Lived fills in gaps in the history that American children have been taught for generations. For African American children, it will prove that they are more than descendants of the enslaved. For all children, it will show that every child can achieve great things and work together to make the world a better place for all.
That They Lived was made possible through a grant provided by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.
That They African Americans Who Changed the World features Riley's grandson, Caleb, and Lola photographed in timeless black and white, dressed as important individuals such as business owners, educators, civil rights leaders, and artists, alongside detailed biographies that begin with the figures as young children who had the same ambitions, fears, strengths, and obstacles facing them that readers today may still experience. Muhammad Ali's bike was stolen when he was twelve years old and the police officer he reported the crime to suggested he learn how to fight before he caught up with the thief. Bessie Coleman, the first African American female aviator, collected and washed her neighbors' dirty laundry so she could raise enough money for college. When Duke Ellington was seven years old, he preferred playing baseball to attending the piano lessons his mom had arranged.
That They Lived fills in gaps in the history that American children have been taught for generations. For African American children, it will prove that they are more than descendants of the enslaved. For all children, it will show that every child can achieve great things and work together to make the world a better place for all.
That They Lived was made possible through a grant provided by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan.
160 pages, Paperback
Published February 2, 2021
3 people are currently reading
79 people want to read
About the author
Rochelle Riley
8 books6 followersRochelle Riley is an award-winning newspaper columnist who is no longer seeking permission to put the burden down. She has fearlessly called out elected officials who should have been ashamed of themselves and has helped raise millions of dollars for just causes, especially the fight for improved adult literacy. She offers commentary on MSNBC and NPR and contributes to Essence and Ebony magazines. She was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame in 2016, received the 2017 Ida B. Wells Award from the National Association of Black Journalists and Northwestern University, and was awarded the 2017 Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship by the Society of Professional Journalists. She also is a global wanderer who has visited twenty-six countries and counting.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 7, 2021
OH MY GOD the portraits are not the original portraits of the people they are children dressing up like the people and IT IS SO ADORABLE. Everyone needs this book immediately. Like, right now. For real. That tiny Aretha though. AHHHHHH!!!!
January 28, 2023
What a gift! Highly recommended to share with young & grown readers. This book will inspire and ignite curiosity. I couldn’t help but flip back and forth through the amazing photography and stories and think about the potential and the strength that we learn from our ancestors.
March 1, 2025
Truly inspiring .
This is antidote to our current times of the forces pushing an agenda of hate, separation and lies. The antidote of learning about the United States’ history, its people and its accomplishments.
The photos jump off the page. I feel the stories with such captivating portraits.
This is antidote to our current times of the forces pushing an agenda of hate, separation and lies. The antidote of learning about the United States’ history, its people and its accomplishments.
The photos jump off the page. I feel the stories with such captivating portraits.
August 28, 2021
4 stars for this collection of kid posed portrait photographs of some real change-makers from African American History
March 3, 2022
The pictures of the kids were great. Kid books can be great to get information. Learned a lot. What amazing people.
February 7, 2021
Not just for kids
I learned a lot about people I thought I knew. I was also introduced to some I didn’t know. I think this a great book to assign for Black History month. It’s also a wonderful reminder of those who fought for change long before we started having the hard conversations that show us how far we have yet to go.
I learned a lot about people I thought I knew. I was also introduced to some I didn’t know. I think this a great book to assign for Black History month. It’s also a wonderful reminder of those who fought for change long before we started having the hard conversations that show us how far we have yet to go.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews