SPONSORED: “Great Reads” is a regular roundup of books that the Orange County Public Library System thinks you should peruse that month.

March 17 is Bayard Rustin’s birthday. Inspired by this oft-overlooked changemaker, this month we’ve selected books about people who have strived to make the world a better place, including one about Bayard himself. (Incidentally, you can also find an excellent documentary about Bayard on Kanopy – available with your library card – called Brother Outsider.)

LOST PROPHET: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BAYARD RUSTIN
BY JOHN D’EMILIO

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Rarely recognized, but mighty nonetheless, Bayard Rustin greatly impacted the trajectory of the civil rights movement. D’Emilio submits that Rustin’s lack of presence in historical accounts is a result of Rustin living an openly homosexual lifestyle during the ‘60s. Bayard, a Quaker pacifist, provided invaluable instruction on strategies of peaceful public protest to more well-known civil rights leaders. Bayard Rustin, a portrait of hope and courage.
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JOSPHINE BAKER’S LAST DANCE: A NOVEL
BY SHERRY JONES

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Activist. Dancer. Singer. Spy. Just a few of the attributes of Josephine Baker. She grew up a poor Missouri girl, determined to live out her dreams, and helped countless others along the way. Josephine didn’t just fight for herself, she advocated for women and people of color in Europe and the United States. Jones does an excellent job of fleshing out Baker’s tenacity and compassion in this historical fiction.
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MARCH BOOK 1
BY JOHN LEWIS

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The first in a graphic trilogy giving a first-hand account of John Lewis the only still living member of the Big Six of the Civil Rights Movement. Lewis shares stories from growing up in rural Alabama, meeting MLK, and the struggle for civil and human rights. This inspiring account will leave readers wanting to read all three volumes.
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BRAVE. BLACK. FIRST: 50+ AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD
BY CHERYL HUDSON & ERIN K. ROBINSON

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Change is never easy, especially if it is something you have to fight for. Brave. Black. First. gives readers a chance to learn about some of the most influential and courageous Americans of all time and showcases how each trendsetter risked part of themselves so that everyone else had a chance to thrive. Informative, inspiring and powerful.
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THEY SAID THIS DAY WOULD NEVER COME: CHASING THE DREAM ON OBAMA’S IMPORBABLE CAMPAIGN
BY CHRIS LIDDELL-WESTERFELD

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Drawn from hundreds of interviews of those who were there, this is a chronicle of the exciting and history-making days of President Obama’s first election campaign.  Learn how hopeful youths led a grassroots campaign that spread throughout the nation, and how those actions are still inspiring the next generation of political hopefuls.  More than just a political history, They Said This Day Would Never Come is a blueprint on how to produce change and hope.
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THE BOOK OF GUTSY WOMEN: FAVORITE STORIES OF COURAGE AND RESILIENCE
BY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON & CHELSEA CLINTON

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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and daughter Chelsea Clinton bring together a collection of courageous women that have inspired them. The book includes notable figures Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth as well as less-known figures including doctors, inventors, educators, and many more. This is the perfect book to learn about well-known figures or discover new ones.
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