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  • Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day by Kathlyn J. Kirkwood book cover
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Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round: My Story of the Making of Martin Luther King Day

by Kathlyn J. Kirkwood

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The work behind a national day of remembrance

$15.83 USD
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Hardcover New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

The work behind a national day of remembrance

Kathlyn J. Kirkwood’s memoir-in-verse connects her own path into activism with the collective effort to establish Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday as a national holiday. Its account brings attention to the organizers and supporters whose years of protest and petition helped advance that cause. Alongside personal history and broader events, the book explains aspects of lawmaking and the sustained work involved in turning an idea into law. The combination makes civic action concrete through one historical campaign, while keeping everyday participants in view.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Young readers interested in Martin Luther King Jr. and the history of his national holiday.
  • Readers exploring activism, racial justice, and civic participation.
  • Readers who enjoy biography and history presented in verse.

Themes

Activism and civic participationRacial justiceThe making of Martin Luther King Jr. DayLawmaking and collective action

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

This brilliant memoir-in-verse tells the moving story of how a nation learned to celebrate a hero. Through years of protests and petition, Kathlyn's story highlights the foot soldiers who fought to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday a national holiday.

Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round is a deeply moving middle grade memoir about what it means to be an everyday activist and foot solider for racial justice, as Kathlyn recounts how, drawn to activism from childhood, she went from attending protests as a teenager to fighting for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday to become a national holiday as an adult. A blueprint for kids starting down their own paths to civic awareness, it shows life beyond protests and details the sustained time, passion, and energy it takes to turn an idea into a law.

Deftly weaving together monumental historical events with a heartfelt coming-of-age story and in-depth information on law making, Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round is the perfect engaging example of how history can help inform the present.

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