Wade Hudson is the author of numerous books for children, including the memoir Defiant- Growing Up in the Jim Crow South, and is also the co-editor of the critically acclaimed collection Recognize!- An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life. He and his wife Cheryl are not only frequent co-authors, but also the co-founders and publishers of Just Us Books, a company dedicated to publishing books geared toward Black children. The recipient of a Caldecott Honor and an Orbis Pictus Award, along with many others, E. B. Lewis is the illustrator of more than seventy books for children. His recent titles include Seeking Freedom by Selene Castrovilla and Lizzie Demands a Seat by Beth Anderson, which won Bank Street College of Education's Flora Stieglitz Straus Award for excellence in nonfiction, along with many other honors.
In straightforward prose laced with reverence and pride, Hudson offers the reader this ode, this manifesto, that celebrates the forefathers and foremothers of Black America, honoring all that has been and all that is to come. A must-have addition to every library. -Renee Watson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, The 1619 Project: Born on the Water 'Wade Hudson has plumbed the past to present a pantheon of African American pioneers, and he has restored them to their rightful place among our country's founding fathers and mothers. Now, Black children will know the greatness of their ancestors who fought for freedom and overcame seemingly insurmountable odds. And all children will be introduced to overlooked activists and achievers who helped shape this nation and its values. -Carole Boston Weatherford, Coretta Scott King Award winner, author of Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre