Bryan Collier's We Shall Overcome uses the evocative lyrics of the famous gospel anthem of the civil rights movement to encourage readers to investigate the present-day racial injustices endured by Black people in the United States. Collier's striking artwork draws in young readers and invites them to engage with the text, the art, the music and the history.
"We Shall Overcome" is an inspiring gospel anthem that has been used for decades as a nonviolent way for African Americans to protest unjust conditions and treatment. Originally sung by enslaved people in the United States and used during worker strikes, this legendary song was formerly known as "I'll Overcome Someday," published by Reverend Charles Albert Tindley. It was popularized by Pete Seeger during the 1950-'60s civil rights marches and protests, and eventually became a symbol of hope all over the world.
Four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Collier (Trombone Shorty; The 5 O'Clock Band) uses powerful illustrations perfectly to blend the past and the present. Collier's signature mix of collage, watercolors and double-page spreads creates a story that follows a Black girl in a yellow dress from home to school to a protest. The illustrations of the girl and her contemporary world are in color but, as she moves through her city, Collier places her within and alongside black-and-white images of people, places and events from the civil rights movement. On one page, the girl can be seen riding a bus alongside Rosa Parks; on another spread, she walks past a grayscale depiction of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. Also featured are more current images, such as a Black Lives Matter mural, "a statement and a movement" that brings "attention to the unjust treatment of Black people by the police." Collier continues the motif used in All Because You Matter (written by Tami Charles) of a single flower petal shape to build "a blossoming effect." A single flower petal is a sign of peace on the cover, the girl's shoe prints are lines of flower petals and, eventually, she has wings made of dozens of flower petals--every one of them displaying the face of an ancestor.
The empowering lyrics of "We Shall Overcome" and Collier's stirring illustrations are the perfect way to bridge the past and present. The book, like the song, acts as a rallying cry for people "to stand up and speak out against injustices so that there may finally be a day when we are all equal." --Natasha Harris, freelance reviewer
Shelf Talker: In this electrifying picture book, a famous gospel anthem connects the past and the present as it is reimagined with beautiful contemporary artwork.