Voices from the March on Washington

Reviewed by: Bernie Alie - Kennebunk Free Library, Kennebunk, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 7, 2014

Review

Lewis and Lyon join forces to present the voices of fictionalized characters at the 1963 March on Washington. Going beyond the well-known speech of Martin Luther King Jr., we glimpse the dreams and frustrations that led people from across the nation to gather in the hopes of transforming the country. Black and white, young and old are moved by the voices they hear and their interactions with the crowd. Historical context includes the organizing skills of Bayard Rustin, the thrill of sharing a water fountain or sandwich, the music of Lena Horne and Joan Baez, and the exclusion of leading women of color. Back matter includes a guide to the voices both historical and fictional, bibliography including websites, and two indexes to the poems. This title deserves wide readership. Ideal for reader's theatre and classroom use, it brings the struggle for Civil Rights alive. "What you can see is huge, but there's a bigger crowd, much bigger: the people we come from and come for" (p.49).

Overall Book Score: excellent