We Shall Not Be Denied: A Timeline of Voting Rights and Suppression in America

by Cayla Bellanger DeGroat, Cicely Lewis

Overview

If you're under 18, you might be thinking, "Why do voting rights matter to me? I'm too young to vote." Voting is how our country chooses government leaders to make important decisions that affect all our lives. When one citizen is denied their right to vote, their voice is silenced. Everyone deserves a voice.

Throughout the history of the US, many Americans from underrepresented groups have fought, suffered, or died for the right to vote. Their hard work and courage has allowed many to gain the right to vote. But challenges remain and affect many voters.

This book will help you learn more about voting and understand why the right to vote is important. Even if you are not old enough to vote, you can make a difference. Get informed about our country's leaders. Make your voice heard. And spread the word about the importance of voting!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798765629185
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/10/2024
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	9 - 11 Years

About the Author

Born and raised in White Earth, Minnesota, Cayla Bellanger DeGroat is an enrolled member of Gaa-waabaabiganikaag, the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. She is a life-long student of Indigenous history and federal Indian policy with a Bachelor of Arts in American Indian Studies and Master of Tribal Administration and Governance from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Cicely Lewis is a school librarian with a passion for creating lovers of reading based in Georgia. In 2017, she started the Read Woke challenge in response to the shootings of young unarmed black people, the repeal of DACA, and the lack of diversity in young adult literature. She was named the 2020 National Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal and Scholastic, a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker and the 2019 National Teacher Award for Lifelong Readers by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and Penguin Random House (PRH).

Editorial Reviews

06/24/2024

DeGroat (Native Mascots, Myths, and Misrepresentation) and Lewis (Imani’s Recipe for Teamwork) collaborate in this smart and succinct work, a straightforward guide to the history of voting rights in the U.S. Beginning with the signing of the Constitution, the creators detail the difficulties that women, Indigenous peoples, and nonwhite Americans and immigrants experienced in their efforts to expand voting rights. Infographics throughout depict an easy-to-follow timeline along which important events, years, and court case decisions are summed up in brief, as when, in 1856, it was declared that white men did not need to own land to vote. A following graphic addresses Dred Scott v. Sandford in 1857, which ruled that “enslaved and free Black people living in the U.S. were not citizens,” and were therefore unable to vote. A chapter titled “Even More Barriers?” points out various other obstacles toward fair voting rights, such as the lack of non-English languages on ballots, while later sections address contemporary challenges (gerrymandering), and triumphs (Brakebill v. Jaeger). “When one citizen is denied their right to vote, their voice is silenced,” the authors assert in this approachable call to action. Back matter includes next steps, reflection questions, a glossary, and more. Ages 9–14. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

2024-09-14
A timeline of high spots and low in the continuing struggle to expand voting rights in the United States.

Designed more to give students a basic historical frame for this ever-contentious issue than to deepen their understanding of its controversies and nuances, this chronological overview begins with the “three-fifths clause” in Article 1 of the 1787 Constitution. The authors then proceed to identify significant legislation and legal cases up to the 2020 settlement inBrakebill v. Jaeger, which protected voting rights for Native Americans living on reservations. Period images and brief commentary accompanying the timeline that runs throughout the pages create some context. The authors allude to unspecified “unfair treatment” or continuing “barriers” for marginalized groups and specific changes for better or worse on limiting who may vote. The authors rarely pause to examine the racist, sexist, or political mores and motives behind those stubbornly pervasive limits—largely leaving it to readers to research and draw their own conclusions about, for instance, the motives behind the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act or the 1901 “moral turpitude” tests for voter registration in Alabama. And to remind their audience of future voters that there are no age limits on activism, the authors switch tracks at the end with a nod to the young eco-litigators behind the still-pendingJuliana v. United States lawsuit before closing with suggested activities and debate questions.

Sketchy but useful as a springboard for further research. (glossary, bibliography, index)(Nonfiction. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews

"The authors have successfully written a thought-provoking, informative book, providing ample information without overwhelming readers with huge blocks of text. Delightfully to the point and packed with information, this book would serve as a great starting point for students who are doing research."—starred, Booklist

From the Publisher

08/01/2024

Gr 4–8—A succinct and approachable exploration of voting rights and suppression in the United States. This work uses a time line format to present an eye-opening account of the widespread disenfranchisement of voters from marginalized groups since the foundation of this country. From the three-fifths compromise of 1787, when representatives from the colonies agreed to count enslaved people as only three-fifths of a person each, readers will learn how the right to vote was slowly extended to white immigrants, Black men with land, white women, and eventually, BIPOC groups. This book also points out laws, amendments, and Supreme Court decisions that either granted or denied many the right to vote and citizenship. It wasn't until 2020 that Native Americans living on reservations had voting protections. Alarmingly, over half of the states have presented laws to limit voting rights in 2023. While the narrative is dry at times, the spare and straightforward text makes this topic accessible and digestible. Large, bright photos; a red, white, and blue color scheme; maps, diagrams, and lots of white space make this text engaging and very readable. The Supreme Court case decisions are summarized on a parchment-looking background, and in keeping with the chronology focus, the specific year of each decision is marked by a red banner. The final section focuses on how students, even if they're not eligible to vote, can take action in state and local government. Back matter includes discussion questions, glossary, further reading, and an index. VERDICT A strong choice for American history and civics curriculum.—Shelley M. Diaz

School Library Journal