"A snapshot of the civil-rights movement in one city provides insight
into the important role of individual communities as change moved
through the country...a case study of how citizens of one city both
precipitated and responded to the whirlwind of social change around
them."--Kirkus Reviews
"A profoundly moving tribute to the intrepid unsung heroes who risked
their lives to help bring an end to Baltimore's Jim Crow Era."--Kam
Williams, syndicated columnist
On August 28, 1963--the day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a
Dream" speech--segregation ended finally at Baltimore's Gwynn Oak
Amusement Park, after nearly a decade of bitter protests.
Eleven-month-old Sharon Langley was the first African American child to
go on a ride there that day, taking a spin on the park's merry-go-round,
which since 1981 has been located on the National Mall in front of the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Round and Round Together
weaves the story of the struggle to integrate that Baltimore amusement
park into the story of the civil rights movement as a whole.
Round and Round Together is illustrated with archival photos from
newspapers and other sources, as well as personal photos from family
albums of individuals interviewed for the book. There is a timeline of
major Civil Rights events.
"Amy Nathan's book deftly describes the courageous struggle by blacks
and whites to end discrimination in the park, the city, and the nation.
Readers will walk away with a clearer understanding of segregation and
the valiant Americans who fought against this injustice."--Debra
Newman Ham, Professor of History, Morgan State University
"Round and Round Together tells the inspiring story of how a
generation of college and high school students provided the energy and
enthusiasm that ended racial segregation in Baltimore's Gwynn Oak
Amusement Park and changed the direction of Maryland's
history."--James Henretta, Professor Emeritus, University of
Maryland
"With clarity and passion, Amy Nathan portrays the struggle of everyday
citizens to end racial segregation in Baltimore. This compelling
history, for and about young people, is simple but profound like freedom
itself."--Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the
trilogy America in the King Years
Amy Nathan is an award-winning author of several books for young
people, including The Young Musician's Survival Guide, Count on Us:
American Women in the Military, Yankee Doodle Gals: Women Pilots of
World War II, Meet the Musicians, and Surviving Homework. She grew
up in Baltimore and went to Western High School.
