Joint Venture

DEAR MR. ROSENWALD
The School that Hope Built
by Carole Boston Weatherford, Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

This rich, slim picture book is suggested on Amazon for students in grades 2-5. However, the text, drawings, and message are sophisticated enough for readers of any age. Here’s how the book begins:

1921: One Room School

My teacher Miss Mays said,
You can’t judge a school
by the building. When the roof leaks,
she calls us vessels of learning.
When the floor creaks, she says
knowledge is a firm foundation.

The story tells of the combined efforts of Booker T. Washington, “born into slavery,” who headed the original Tuskegee University, and Julius Rosenwald, “the child of Jewish immigrants,” who headed Sears Roebuck & Co. Mr. Rosenwald was moved by Booker T. Washington’s autobiography “Up From Slavery” and joined him in promoting the education of black children by donating money to build schools in the rural South. Booker T. was successful in encouraging both blacks and whites to contribute to the schools through their own efforts and donations.

The back matter is excellent and contains historic photographs.