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Summary of Text
“Oft-times it seems that the wheels of justice turn slowly—but turn they must as long as we have young people such as these…exemplifying courage, vision, and dedication not only for the cause of democracy in Arkansas, but that mankind around the world may enjoy dignity and freedom.” In her acceptance speech for receiving the Spingarn Medal in 1958 on behalf of the NAACP, Daisy Bates commends the bravery and commitment of the young “Nine”—the nine black teenagers who enrolled in Little Rock Central High School during its integration in 1957. These nine courageous students faced horrible resistance, violent threats, and physical attacks. The woman who stood behind these students, enduring much of the same kind of abuse, was Daisy Bates. In an account of the events leading up to, through, and following the Little Rock Nine Integration Crisis, Fradin and Fradin depict Bates’ guidance and mentoring of the “Little Rock Nine” as well as her impactful role in the battle for integration and the Civil Rights Movement.
Evaluation of Literary Merits
In The Power of One: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, Judith and Dennis Fradin chronicle the life experiences of Daisy Bates that led her to become the President of the Arkansas branch of the NAACP and a pivotal figure in the Little Rock Integration Crisis of 1957. This text, however, cannot simply be deemed a “biography,” as it is so much more than an account of one person’s life. Throughout the text, Fradin and Fradin analyze the social unrest in Little Rock, Arkansas, ranging from police brutality and other violent crimes, to Civil Rights struggles including the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education that “separate but equal” is not constitutional and school desegregation. In order to provide accurate and thorough information of this historical period, Fradin and Fradin collected primary documents, consulted numerous texts (books, articles, newspapers, videos), and conducted several interviews in the Arkansas and Chicago areas with Bates’ relatives, members of the “Little Rock Nine,” and other experts with knowledge of the Little Rock Nine Integration Crisis.
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In addition to the extensive research done for this text, Fradin and Fradin have put together an appropriate, easily accessible, and visually pleasing text for young adult readers. The text includes a clearly organized structure, one that maintains a consistent chronology of the events of the Little Rock Nine Integration Crisis. The authors present an easy-to follow blended text, which flows from narrative to expository and vice versa. In addition, the book maintains typical patterns of organization structure for information text; these are: narrative, descriptive, and sequential. To contribute to the visual aesthetic and overall attractiveness of the text, Fradin and Fradin strategically embed images of primary source documents and archived photographs to support the reader’s understanding of key events, people, places, etc. The authors’ years of personal investment in this text and authority on Daisy Bates’ life and the events of the Little Rock Nine Integration Crisis allows for young adult readers to gain a deep understanding and appreciation of the heroes honored in this book.
“Oft-times it seems that the wheels of justice turn slowly—but turn they must as long as we have young people such as these…exemplifying courage, vision, and dedication not only for the cause of democracy in Arkansas, but that mankind around the world may enjoy dignity and freedom.” In her acceptance speech for receiving the Spingarn Medal in 1958 on behalf of the NAACP, Daisy Bates commends the bravery and commitment of the young “Nine”—the nine black teenagers who enrolled in Little Rock Central High School during its integration in 1957. These nine courageous students faced horrible resistance, violent threats, and physical attacks. The woman who stood behind these students, enduring much of the same kind of abuse, was Daisy Bates. In an account of the events leading up to, through, and following the Little Rock Nine Integration Crisis, Fradin and Fradin depict Bates’ guidance and mentoring of the “Little Rock Nine” as well as her impactful role in the battle for integration and the Civil Rights Movement.
Evaluation of Literary Merits
In The Power of One: Daisy Bates and the Little Rock Nine, Judith and Dennis Fradin chronicle the life experiences of Daisy Bates that led her to become the President of the Arkansas branch of the NAACP and a pivotal figure in the Little Rock Integration Crisis of 1957. This text, however, cannot simply be deemed a “biography,” as it is so much more than an account of one person’s life. Throughout the text, Fradin and Fradin analyze the social unrest in Little Rock, Arkansas, ranging from police brutality and other violent crimes, to Civil Rights struggles including the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education that “separate but equal” is not constitutional and school desegregation. In order to provide accurate and thorough information of this historical period, Fradin and Fradin collected primary documents, consulted numerous texts (books, articles, newspapers, videos), and conducted several interviews in the Arkansas and Chicago areas with Bates’ relatives, members of the “Little Rock Nine,” and other experts with knowledge of the Little Rock Nine Integration Crisis.
t
In addition to the extensive research done for this text, Fradin and Fradin have put together an appropriate, easily accessible, and visually pleasing text for young adult readers. The text includes a clearly organized structure, one that maintains a consistent chronology of the events of the Little Rock Nine Integration Crisis. The authors present an easy-to follow blended text, which flows from narrative to expository and vice versa. In addition, the book maintains typical patterns of organization structure for information text; these are: narrative, descriptive, and sequential. To contribute to the visual aesthetic and overall attractiveness of the text, Fradin and Fradin strategically embed images of primary source documents and archived photographs to support the reader’s understanding of key events, people, places, etc. The authors’ years of personal investment in this text and authority on Daisy Bates’ life and the events of the Little Rock Nine Integration Crisis allows for young adult readers to gain a deep understanding and appreciation of the heroes honored in this book.
