The New-York Historical Society, New York’s first museum, presents an exhibition that explores the civil rights movement through one of the most emotionally compelling forms of visual expression—the children’s picture book. Picture the Dream: The Story of the Civil Rights Movement through Children’s Books, opening April 1, highlights some of the most consequential moments in American history that continue to impact the nation today. Above: Philippe Lardy, illustration for A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson (Houghton Mifflin 2005) courtesy of the artist

Through illustrations and objects, the exhibition traces the legacy of social justice, thoughtfully presented for young audiences, and provides a jumping off point for important conversations about race, justice, and America’s past. The exhibition is co-organized by the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, where it debuted in August 2020, and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts. Below: Laura Freeman, from Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race (Scholastic 2018) by Margot Lee

This exhibition is the first of its kind to delve into the events, people, and themes of the civil rights movement as told through picture books. Eighty artworks evoke the power of the era that shaped American history and continues to reverberate today. Picture the Dream presents three thematic sections exploring the forces that sparked the civil rights movement, its key players and events, and stories about the reemergence of activism in contemporary America. From Brown vs. the Board of Education and the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the March on Washington and Black Lives Matter, the picture books’ topics bridge the past and present, emphasizing how historical moments and leaders continue to inspire the struggle for equal rights.

Special to New-York Historical’s presentation are a historical timeline and artifacts from the Museum’s History Responds collection, including drawings by artists and children inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, and objects from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. The gallery also features a reading nook with books featured in the exhibition available for visitors’ enjoyment.

Among books featured in the exhibition are: A Wreath for Emmett Till by Marilyn Nelson, illustrated by Philippe Lardy [a multiple AI winner]; Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race  by Margot Lee Shetterly, illustrated by Laura Freeman [ a multiple AI winner]; If a Bus Could Talk: The Story of Rosa Parks written and illustrated by Faith Ringgold; Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton, illustrated by Raúl Colón; Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney. The exhibition was curated by Andrea Davis Pinkney; see an interview with the curator in The Georgia Review Above: Brian Collier, from All Because You Matter (Scholastic 2020) by Tami Charles, courtesy of the artist.

On view through July 24, 2022 at The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY Info