Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote

Collaborators Dyson and Favreau (Unequal) present the ideologies that disparage women and Black Americans and become the framework for contemporary American society in this accessible accounting of voting rights. In a linear chronology, the authors center historical figures like civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer and former Congressman John Lewis. Conversational text delivers a brief biography of the spotlighted subjects, details where they fit in the fight for voting rights, and outlines how their contributions were influenced by those who came before and in turn impact those who came after. The resistance from government leaders, poll taxes, and state legislation that citizens experience in their efforts to expand voting rights are discussed throughout. Additionally, Dyson and Favreau don’t shy away from depicting the conflicts among voting activists, highlighting the exclusion of nonwhite Americans within the women’s suffrage movement. Concerning the current political landscape, the creators address Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and the weaponization of the voter fraud rhetoric that sparked the January 6 insurrection. Concluding solutions and resources make a fitting end to this relevant and inspiring account that shows how the past is not as far removed as one may think. Ages 12–up. (Sept.)