"Beyond Magenta," which chronicles the transition stories of six transgender and nonbinary teenagers, was challenged by the parent of a James River High School student at the end of last school year over the claim that it contained sexually explicit content.
How childrenâs books carry on the struggle for civil rights
By Murray Whyte Globe Staff,Updated April 9, 2021, 2 hours ago
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Philippe Lardy s illustration for A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson.Philippe Lardy
AMHERST â On the left is a simple drawing of young Rosa McCauley, her black hair tied in bows, posed with her parents and baby brother at home in Tuskegee, Ala. On the right are pale riders in white hoods on dark horses, thundering hatred through the inky night. The question is not how these images can coexist, but why. Theyâre pages from the renowned artist and activist Faith Ringgoldâs 1999 childrenâs book âIf a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks.â (McCauley was Parksâs maiden name.) And theyâre as powerful an emblem as any of the divide that still cleaves the heart of American society.