Go, Wilma, Go!: Wilma Rudolph, from Athlete to Activist

Ages 5 to 8

The inspiring true story of how Olympic athlete Wilma Rudolph became a change-making civil rights activist.

Most people know Wilma Rudolph as a record-setting Olympic track athlete, but fewer know she was also an activist. This nonfiction picture book tells the powerful story of what happened after she soared across the finish line to become a gold medal winning Olympian.

When she returned home to Clarksville, TN, she used her platform to demand that her town de-segregate the parade and banquet they were planning in her honor—and they did! After she was honored with the first integrated celebration in Clarksville, Wilma's work was just beginning. For the rest of her life, she would use her platform to protest segregation and advocate for Black girls and women to have opportunities in sports and beyond.

This moving picture book is sure to inspire the next generation of athletes and changemakers.

About the Author

Amira Rose Davis is an Assistant Professor of History and African American Studies at Penn State University. She is the author of the forthcoming book Can’t Eat a Medal and co-host of the podcast Burn it All Down. amirarosedavis.com

Michael G. Long has a Ph.D. from Emory University and is the author or editor of numerous books, including Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson and Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the March on Washington.

Charnelle Pinkney Barlow received her BFA from the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, and her MFA from the School of Visual Arts. She is the illustrator of Everything in Its Place, The Real Santa, and Remember to Dream, Ebere. callmechartreuse.com