CARLOTTA'S SPECIAL DRESS

LaNier, one of the Little Rock Nine, shares the moving true story of how she helped integrate an all-white Arkansas school.

As the summer of 1957 drew to a close, Carlotta eagerly anticipated attending Central High, a fancy school near her home with well-equipped science labs ideal for preparing Carlotta for a medical career. With a $20 gift from her uncle, Carlotta and her mother found the perfect first-day-of-school outfit: an elegant black dress adorned with bluish-green numbers and letters. Despite Carlotta’s excitement about starting at Central, white parents’ objections to integration prevented the Black students from attending. When a judge ruled in favor of integration, Carlotta wore her new dress to school, praying that it would bring her good luck. Though surrounded by supportive white and Black ministers, the students encountered an angry mob, and the National Guard, called in by the governor, prevented them from entering the building. President Eisenhower intervened, sending soldiers to ensure that Black students could safely attend school. This colorfully illustrated, heartfelt account gives young readers an excellent introduction to the turbulent integration of public schools in the South. Brantley-Newton’s vibrant digital and collage illustrations effectively portray the flair and style of this middle-class Black family as well as the trauma of racism. Rich backmatter explains that Carlotta’s dress is now displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., while also offering readers a deeper dive into this moment.

An intimate, well-crafted glimpse at the Civil Rights Movement.