Books: Non-Fiction

A Worthy Piece of Work: The Untold Story of Madeline Morgan and the Fight for Black History in Schools

Book — Non-fiction. By Michael Hines. 2022. 224 pages.
The story of Madeline Morgan, a teacher and an activist who created curricula that bolstered Black claims for recognition and equal citizenship.

Time Periods: 1945
Themes: African American, Education, Racism & Racial Identity

A Worthy Piece of Work tells the story of Madeline Morgan (later Madeline Stratton Morris), a teacher and an activist in WWII-era Chicago, who fought her own battle on the home front, authoring curricula that bolstered Black claims for recognition and equal citizenship.

book cover showing old photos and torn paperDuring the Second World War, as Black Americans both fought to save democracy abroad and demanded full citizenship at home, Morgan’s work gained national attention and widespread praise, and became a model for teachers, schools, districts, and cities across the country. Scholar Michael Hines unveils this history for the first time, providing an understanding of the ways in which Black educators have created counternarratives to challenge the anti-Black racism found in school textbooks and curricula.

At a moment when Black history is under attack in school districts and state legislatures across the country, A Worthy Piece of Work reminds us that struggles over history, representation, and race are far from a new phenomenon. [Adapted from publisher’s description.]

ISBN: 9780807007426 | Beacon Press

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