Title: Streetcar to justice : how Elizabeth Jennings won the right to ride in New York /
Authors: Hearth, Amy Hill, 1958-
Year: 2018
Subjects: Graham, Elizabeth Jennings,; African American women New York (State) New York Biography Juvenile literature.; African Americans New York (State) New York Biography Juvenile literature.; Civil rights workers New York (State) New York Biography Juvenile literature.; African Americans Civil rights New York (State) New York History Juvenile literature.; Segregation in transportation New York (State) New York History Juvenile literature.; Illustrated children's books; African American women; Women Biography.; African Americans Biography.; JUVENILE NONFICTION Biography & Autobiography Social Activists.; JUVENILE NONFICTION Biography & Autobiography Women.; JUVENILE NONFICTION People & Places United States African American.; New York (State) Race relations Juvenile literature.; New York (State) Biography Juvenile literature.
Abstract: "Amy Hill Hearth uncovers the story of a little-known figure in U.S. history in this fascinating biography. In 1854, a young African American woman named Elizabeth Jennings won a major victory against a New York City streetcar company, a first step in the process of desegregating public transportation in Manhattan. This illuminating and important piece of the history of the fight for equal rights, illustrated with photographs and archival material from the period, will engage fans of Phillip Hoose's Claudette Colvin and Steve Sheinkin's Most Dangerous. One hundred years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, Elizabeth Jennings's refusal to leave a segregated streetcar in the Five Points neighborhood of Manhattan set into motion a major court case in New York City."--Provided by publisher.
Contents: "Those monsters in human form" -- Stray dogs and pickpockets -- A city divided by race -- "I screamed murder with all my voice" -- "You will sweat for this!" -- An admired family -- A "shameful" and "loathsome" issue -- A future U.S. president -- Elizabeth Jennings v. Third Avenue Railroad Company -- The jury's decision -- An uncanny similarity to Rosa Parks -- What happened to Elizabeth Jennings? -- How a creepy old house led to the writing of this book -- Retracing her footsteps -- Chester A. Arthur : tragedy leads to presidency.