Go, Wilma, Go!: Wilma Rudolph, from Athlete to Activist

by Amira Rose Davis, Michael G. Long, Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Illustrator)

Overview

Wilma Rudolph was a champion on the track and for civil rights. Go, Wilma, go!

At the 1960 Summer Olympics, Wilma Rudolph became a gold-medal-winning track star. Discover the powerful story of what happened after she soared across the finish line . . .

Leaders in Wilma's hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee, plan a "Wilma Rudolph Day" to honor their champion. But when Wilma hears about their plans, she stops.

A segregated celebration? She won't go! She won't go unless they welcome Black people to participate. Thanks to Wilma, Clarksville hosts its first fully integrated event.

And Wilma doesn't stop there! The race to freedom is not a sprint, but a marathon. She spends the rest of her life protesting inequality and advocating for Black girls and women to have opportunities in sports and beyond. Go, Wilma, go!

With a powerful text from Amira Rose Davis and Michael G. Long, and art full of movement from Charnelle Pinkney Barlow, this powerful picture book is sure to inspire the next generation of athletes and changemakers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781547612093
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	07/16/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	1,024,113
Product dimensions:	11.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Michael G. Long has a Ph.D. from Emory University and is the author or editor of numerous books on nonviolent protest, civil rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. His books for children include Call Him Jack: The Story of Jackie Robinson, Black Freedom Fighter; and the picture book Unstoppable: How Bayard Rustin Organized the March on Washington. Twitter: @MichaelGLong2

Editorial Reviews

07/08/2024

Davis, Long, and Pinkney Barlow spotlight athlete Wilma Rudolph (1940–1994), who defied odds to become an Olympic track-and-field champion before embracing activism. After winning three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics, Rudolph tours Greece, England, and Germany, where her experiences contrast with her Clarksville, Tenn., hometown: “In America, they push me around because I’m a Negro. Here in Europe, they push me to the front.” Back in Clarksville, she refuses to attend a segregated celebration in her honor, “unless the leaders include Black people in everything, in the parade and the banquet.” Mixed-media art that includes hand-painted cut-paper collage and digital renderings gives a dioramic feel to scenes of Rudolph running, traveling, and resisting in this work about a figure who remained resolute “because the race to freedom is not a sprint, but a marathon.” An authors’ note concludes. Ages 5–8. (July)

Publishers Weekly

Davis and Long's inviting text realistically portrays the subject's athletic prowess and her determined commitment to racial equality. Barlow's inventive collages of hand-painted cut paper and various mixed media are well matched to the narrative and wonderfully capture Rudolph's essence.” —Horn Book

“The message of Go, Wilma, Go! is timeless-and immediate.” —Shelf Awareness

“Mixed-media art that includes hand-painted cut-paper collage and digital renderings gives a dioramic feel to scenes of Rudolph running, traveling, and resting.” —Publishers Weekly

“An engaging and insightful biography of an American hero—highly recommended.” —School Library Journal

“Cheerful and engaging, buoyed especially by the dynamic collage and mixed media artwork.” —BCCB

“A welcome tribute to Wilma Rudolph's accomplishments and her legacy as a civil rights activist.” —Booklist

“Gracefully written . . . Pinkney Barlow deftly captures her subject's determination both on and off the track . . . Places salutary focus not just on Rudolph's athletic gifts but also on her strength of character.” —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

★ 06/07/2024

Gr 1–3—In this picture book biography, Wilma Rudolph's enduring and inspiring legacy is explored. Immediately following the 1960 Olympic Games held in Rome, where she took home three gold medals for the United States, Rudolph toured Europe, noticing how "all kinds of people" coexist and engage in daily activities together, from sitting on a beach to riding a bus. This was in stark contrast to her hometown of Clarksville, TN, where Jim Crow laws prevailed. Upon returning home, her town planned a day in honor of her victories. Rudolph agreed to participate on the condition that Black people would be included in every aspect of the day. The day was a success; the town remained segregated. Rudolph's desire for change and determination to see it happen remained steadfast, through peaceful protests and her participation in the Civil Rights Movement. Throughout the text, the authors thoughtfully explore Rudolph's athletic victories as well as her hardships as a child and in her adult life. Eye-catching mixed-media illustrations are equally thought-provoking, depicting Rudolph's unwavering perseverance throughout her life. An author's note provides additional information about Rudolph's life and the Civil Rights Movement. VERDICT An engaging and insightful biography of an American hero—highly recommended for purchase.—Olivia Gorecke

School Library Journal

2024-04-05
A tribute to the renowned Olympian and Civil Rights activist.

Wilma Rudolph’s youth and early successes get once-overs in the afterword, but the gracefully written main narrative kicks in after her 1960 Olympics triumph—after her observations that people of diverse races freely used buses, beaches, and restaurants in European countries led her to comment that in America, “They push me around because I’m a Negro. Here in Europe, they push me to the front.” Then, learning upon her return to the U.S. that her segregated Clarksville, Tennessee, hometown was planning a “Wilma Rudolph Day,” she successfully pressured the town authorities into opening the parade and banquet to all. In paper collage scenes with digital touch-ups, Pinkney Barlow deftly captures her subject’s determination both on and off the track as well as filling in the backgrounds with scenes of racially diverse crowds both overseas and at the town’s special celebration in Tennessee. Did that celebration bring segregation in Clarksville to an end? No, the authors frankly admit, but Wilma went on “pushing and pulling and protesting,” as all who still see her as an example should, “because the race to freedom is not a sprint, but a marathon. Let’s go!”

Places salutary focus not just on Rudolph’s athletic gifts but also on her strength of character. (Picture-book biography. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews