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ENCHANTED STORIES: Lizzie Demands a Seat!: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights

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Written by: Beth Anderson
Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis
Calkins Creek, an imprint of Boyds Mills & Kane, 2020. Picture Book.

You may have heard of Rosa Parks and her fight for equal rights but a century earlier a woman named Elizabeth Jennings stood up for her rights and demanded a seat. She was late for church and when she climbed aboard a streetcar that wasn't designated for colored people she was thrown off. Even though Lizzie was a teacher and an educated woman living in a free state she was still treated unfairly. She decided to sue a New York city streetcar company, the Third Avenue Railroad Company, on February 22, 1855 for the same right to ride as others. She won the first recorded court case for equal rights on public transportation. 

This remarkable story was told with lots of details and paired with vivid watercolor illustrations that really helped bring the story to life. It was an inspiring story of how one person can make a difference in the world.  A perfect picture book to use when teaching about civil rights.

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