Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Woman's Case for Equality and Respect [Hamilton, Mary]

Ages 7 to 11, Grades 2 to 5

The true story of Civil Rights activist Mary Hamilton, who took her fight for respect all the way to the US Supreme Court -- and won

Discover the true story of the woman Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nicknamed "Red" because of her fiery spirit! Mary Hamilton grew up knowing right from wrong. She was proud to be Black, and when the chance came along to join the Civil Rights Movement and become a Freedom Rider, she was eager to fight for what she believed in. Mary was arrested again and again—and she did not back down when faced with insults or disrespect. In an Alabama court, a white prosecutor called her by her first name, but she refused to answer unless he called her “Miss Hamilton.” The judge charged her with contempt of court, but that wasn’t the end of it. Miss Mary Hamilton fought the contempt charge all the way to the Supreme Court. Powerful free verse from Carole Boston Weatherford and striking scratchboard illustrations by Jeffery Boston Weatherford, accompanied by archival photographs, honor this unsung heroine who took a stand for respect—and won.

About the Author

Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of numerous award-winning books including BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood which received a Newbery Honor and National Book Award Longlist title Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, illustrated by the late Floyd Cooper. When she's not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. She lives in North Carolina.Jeffery Boston Weatherford is an award-winning illustrator, poet, and founder of the global hip hop collective Triiibe Worldwide. Jeffery earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Howard University where he was a Romare Bearden Scholar. As a teaching artist for the National Book Foundation, he has lectured, performed and conducted workshops in the U.S., Africa, and the Middle East. His illustrated titles include You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen, Africa, A Bat Cave: an Abecedarian Bedtime Chronicle, and Call Me Miss Hamilton. He lives and works in Maryland.