There are a number of Black history biography anthologies out there for older children. Stories of the Spirit of Justice stands out to me for several reasons, and I plan to use it in our homeschool U.S. history lessons.

First, this is a focused collection of biographies, while still covering all the major periods of U.S. history. All of the leaders profiled worked in some way for liberation and justice for Black people, though the ways they did this are incredibly varied.

Second, as a historian who studies the intersection of faith and race, Tisby gives youth thoughtful explanations about how the Christian faith was misused to support racist practices, while also inspiring many African-Americans to stand up for their freedom.

Third, Tisby puts the biographies into important historical context (unlike many compilations for youth that simply describe the leader's life and work.) Each section begins with a short and accessible essay about the important events of that era.

Last, Tisby includes little details about each leader that make the biographies compelling to read, and relatable to youth.

A collection of short biographical sketches, this book is a helpful resource for young readers who are learning about the long journey for racial equality. While this author's focus is on justice for those of African heritage, racism & the Civil Rights movement extends far beyond into other races & discrimination. The figures we learn about made changes that are being felt in those fights as well. While I do not adhere to every word of the author's commentary, I do appreciate his desire to introduce these concepts & important people to young people.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great accompaniment to the fiction book that I previously enjoyed. It’s great that the book is split up into eras and movements making it easier to contextualise the individuals stories. It was great to learn more about some of those in the original story and I learnt something new from it too even as an adult.

Stories Of The Spirit Of Justice, by Jemar Tisby, is a great non-fiction book for older children, featuring lots of short biographies of well known people, along with long forgotten individuals, who fought for justice in America. This is a must read for all teenagers across America.

Stories of the Spirit of Justice is a comprehensive series of historical accounts of the struggles of enslaved Africans and their descendants. Spanning Colonial period, to the early 21st century, this book includes the Jan. 6th insurrection and how racist policy is still a problem as of 2024. After the 2024 presidential election, books such as this are even more valueable in teaching social justice to rising generations of young American voters. I recommend this book for children age 9+ and teens. I also recommend this book especially to school libraries for the vast spread of historical figures. This book is an excellent secondary source for a young student researching material for a writing assignment, especially because each account mentions primary sources the account was drawn from.

Read cover to cover, Stories of the Spirit of Justice is an excellent introduction to the history of racism in the Americas. The book is very careful in regards to its accuracy, pointing out what details have been lost to time. Each biography is a gem of brevity, ranging from three to five pages each. Modern day chapters focus on anti-racist organizations and their founding collective as opposed to individuals.

Each chapter is acommpanied with an illustration of unshaded paint with charcoal-like outlines, alluding to a African and abstract art. Portraits capture the legendary silhouettes that we have come to recognize these figures by, from Harriet Tubman's kerchiefed head to MLK's broad chin. These illustrations are important for giving shape and personality for each individual account, as well as helping children recognize their faces in future photographs they may see throughout their research.

Thanks to Jemar Tisby and Zonderkids Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review, posted on Goodreads on November 10th 2024.