Cover Image: Call Me Miss Hamilton

Call Me Miss Hamilton

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Member Reviews

This is a test review because I work for the publisher and don't want to skew the results but need to get these off my shelves.

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Call Me Miss Hamilton is the true story of Miss Mary Hamilton, a civil rights activist who fought for African Americans to be treated with respect when they were in a courtroom. Miss Hamilton was a teacher who joined the Congress of Racial Equality. She went on Freedom Rides to make sure that there was no segregation on buses and railroads. She witnessed that people spoke to African American people without using their title and sometimes called them , boy, girl, or auntie. Miss Hamilton was arrested many times, mistreated, and even beaten. She was disrespected. She continued to fight for equal rights. Martin Luther King Jr called her Red because she was so feisty. She demanded to be treated with respect. She refused to respond to people who did not call her Miss Hamilton. On one occasion, she was given contempt of court for not responding. She was jailed and fined, but she refused to pay. With the help of NAACP lawyers, her case went to the US Supreme Court. The Court ruled in favor of Miss Hamilton and now everyone in a court of law is spoken to with respect.
This case is known as the Miss Mary Case.

I really enjoyed this book. I was unfamiliar with Miss Mary Hamilton and I am glad that I was able to learn about her through this book. This is a perfect book for anyone who would like to learn more about the civil rights movement. I also like that there is a page about What’s in a Name that explains how when kidnapped African people were brought over, they were given new names by the slave traders and slaveholders. How sad that people were stolen away from their homes and also lost their very name. They also did not have a last name. This was a powerful story. I will definitely be purchasing this book to add to my classroom library.

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This book really brings the social injustices challenged by the Civil Rights Movement to life. Jeffery Boston Weatherford's artfully crafted etchings combined with historic photos paint a picture of this hero for justice set against the backdrop of a dark time in US history that echoes to this day. Carole Boston Weatherford sheds light on Miss Hamilton's life and heroic activism against racist policies in the United States. Abbreviated timeline and further reading suggestions included at the end of the book includes more details for report writers or those wanting to investigate the further details on Miss Hamilton's lifetime. An inspirational addition to any personal , school, or community library.

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Call Me Miss Hamilton is a beautiful and powerful book from a wonderful author/artist team. As always, the Weatherfords have created a text that belongs in classrooms and in the hands of young readers. Again, so very beautiful.

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