A community Sourced Book & Media List Created for the Zinn Education Project #TeachTruth Pledge "Days of Action"

In response to state lawmakers passing bills asking teachers to remain silent or lie about the role of racism, sexism, heterosexism, and oppression through US history, last week, we, along with our partners Center for Children's and Young Adult Literature, thebottomknox, Tennessee Association of School Librarians, participated in the ZinnEducationProject's "Days of Action" to "Teach the Truth" campaign August 27 - 29, 2021.  Visit TeachTruthPledge.org to learn more.  

We invited teachers, educators, parents and others to share titles that have helped them, or the young readers’ in their lives, understand our nation's full history particularly from the perspective(s) of minoritized fictional or real-life people.  With thanks to all who submitted titles of books and other resources, we’ve curated the following list of our favorite suggestions.  All the books on this list can be borrowed from the CDJLibrary by following the directions on our Borrow A Book page except those marked with an asterisk*.  Asterisked* books are not yet available in our collection and can be donated.  Visit our Get Involved page to learn how.    

We hope these suggestions and the words contributor’s shared about their impact in their lives, shared on the CDJL facebook page, help you continue to #TeachTruth, read truth, learn truth and share truth.

Picture Books

Juvenile

  • Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper

  • Front Desk, by Kelly Yang

  • *Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968, by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

  • *As Good as Anybody: Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel’s Amazing March Toward Freedom, by Richard Michelson, illustrated by Raul Colon.

Middle Grades

Teen

adults

Other Media

In addition to the titles above, several people recommended additional media sources including,