Seven Great Reads for
Black History Month


February is Black History Month. Here are some terrific reads that celebrate America’s Black cultural icons and historical figures — and a few inspiring stories about friendship. Created by Jessica Fink, executive director of the Jewish Library of Baltimore, these books all share a Black/Jewish connection. 

book cover - As Good As Anybody

As Good As Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom  
By Richard Michelson 

(From inside book flap) Martin Luther King Jr. grew up in a loving family in the American South, at a time when many of this country’s doors were closed to African Americans.  He aimed to open those doors.  He became a minister like his daddy, and he preached and marched for his cause.  Abraham Joshua Heschel grew up in a loving family in a Europe that did not welcome Jews.  He found a new home in America, where he was a Rabbi like his father, carrying a message of peace and acceptance.  Martin put out a call for others to join him. Abraham knew he must answer Martin’s call. This is the story of how two men formed a remarkable friendship and turned their personal experiences of discrimination into a message of equality and love for all. 

A Fist for Joe Louis and Me  
By Trinka Hakes Noble; Illustrated by Nicole Tadgell 

In Depression-era Detroit, Gordy and Ira, an African American and a German-Jew, bond over a shared interest in boxing as America awaits the rematch between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. 

book cover -The Hero Two Doors Down

The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship Between a Boy and a Baseball Legend  
By Sharon Robinson 

Eight-year-old Steve Satlow is thrilled when Jackie Robinson moves into his Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn in 1948, although many of his neighbors are not, and when Steve meets his hero, he is even more excited–and worried that a misunderstanding over a Christmas tree could damage his new friendship. 

The Rabbi and the Reverend: Joachim Prinz, Martin Luther King Jr., and their fight against silence  
By Audrey Ades, illustrated by Chiara Fedele 

“This is the story of two men, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rabbi Joachim Prinz, an immigrant from Nazi Germany, with a shared belief that remaining silent in the face of injustice was wrong.” provided by publisher 

book cover - A Ride to Remember

A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story  
By Sharon Langley and Amy Nathan, illustrated by Floyd Cooper 

“When Sharon Langley was born, amusement parks were segregated, and African American families were not allowed in. This picture book tells how a community came together—both black and white—to make a change. In the summer of 1963, because of demonstrations and public protests the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Maryland became desegregated and opened to all for the first time. Sharon and her parents were the first African American family to walk into the park, and Sharon was the first African American child to ride the merry-go-round. This was on the same day of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Sharon’s ride to remember demonstrated the possibilities of King’s dream … The carrousel, fully functional, now resides on the National Mall, near the Air and Space Museum” -Provided by publisher. 

The Singer and the Scientist  
By Lisa Rose; illustrations by Isabel Muñoz 

“Singer Marian Anderson and scientist Albert Einstein become friends, connecting over similar experiences with prejudice and a shared passion for music, when Marian is turned away from a hotel that bars African Americans in mid-century America” -Provided by publisher. 

book cover: Strange Fruit

Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song  
By Gary Golio; illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb 

“Discover how two outsiders—Billie Holiday, a young black woman raised in poverty, and Abel Meeropol, the son of Jewish immigrants—combined their talents to create a song that challenged racism and paved the way for the civil rights movement” -Dust jacket. 


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