Child of the Civil Rights Movement author Paula Young Shelton in McComb, Miss.

Paula Young Shelton, author of Child of the Civil Rights Movement (Random House, 2009), was the special guest of the McComb School District on Friday, September 24, 2010. Ms. Shelton offered a literacy workshop to early childhood teachers, read to elementary and high school students and was the featured speaker at a Community Literacy Campaign Luncheon with ministers and business owners. “I encouraged everyone to share their stories with their children, grandchildren and school children,” Ms. Shelton stated. She also emphasized the importance of choosing books for children that reflect their identity.

Until recently, many young people in McComb, Mississippi did not know that their hometown played a historic role during the Civil Rights Movement. The McComb School District has launched a focused effort to include that history in the curriculum. Ms. Paula Young Shelton’s visit was a part of this important commitment to bring history to life for children through local connections.

Seventy copies of Child of the Civil Rights Movement were distributed at the luncheon and in the schools thanks to the support of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the McComb School District. Random House Children’s Books sponsored Ms. Shelton’s presentation in McComb.

More information about McComb and Teaching for Change’s work on teaching about the Civil Rights Movement: www.civilrightsteaching.org

Photo above features Paula Young Shelton (left) and Dr. Hilda Casin. Photo credit: Lisa Barnes.

More photos from Paula Young Shelton’s presentations in McComb on flickr.