| Title | : | Lizzie Demands a Seat!: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1629799394 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781629799391 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 32 |
| Publication | : | First published January 7, 2020 |
One hundred years before Rosa Parks took her stand, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jennings tried to board a streetcar in New York City on her way to church. Though there were plenty of empty seats, she was denied entry, assaulted, and threatened all because of her race--even though New York was a free state at that time. Lizzie decided to fight back. She told her story, took her case to court--where future president Chester Arthur represented her--and won! Her victory was the first recorded in the fight for equal rights on public transportation, and Lizzie's case set a precedent. Author Beth Anderson and acclaimed illustrator E. B. Lewis bring this inspiring, little-known story to life in this captivating nonfiction book.
Lizzie Demands a Seat!: Elizabeth Jennings Fights for Streetcar Rights Reviews
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Richie’s Picks: LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT! ELIZABETH JENNINGS FIGHTS FOR STREETCAR RIGHTS by Beth Anderson and E.B. Lewis, ill., Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek, January 2020, 32p., ISBN: 978-1-62979-939-1
“A monument for civil rights icon Elizabeth Jennings Graham will be dedicated in Grand Central Terminal as part of a city initiative to honor the influential women of New York City, First Lady Chirlane McCray announced Wednesday.
The Grand Central monument will be one of four constructed in the city through the ‘She Built NYC’ initiative launched in 2018…
‘We cannot tell the story of New York City without recognizing the invaluable contributions of the women who helped build and shape it,’ McCray said in a statement. ‘Public monuments should tell the full history and inspire us to realize our potential -- not question our worth.’”
-- Midtown-Hell’s Kitchen Patch (3/6/19)
Who is this Elizabeth Jennings who is getting a monument built in her honor?
One Sunday in 1854, New Yorker Lizzie Jennings was on the verge of being late to play the organ at church. Andt they wouldn’t let her onto the horse-drawn streetcar. Lizzie was black.
“Usually Lizzie’s fine clothes and proper manners earned her a seat on a car reserved for whites. Usually it was up to the passengers to object.
But not today. This conductor expected her to ride on a car for ‘her people’ --a car with the sign ‘Colored People Allowed in This Car.’
Lizzie swallowed hard. ‘I don’t have any people.’
‘The car’s full.’ The conductor shooed her away.
‘Get off.’
She eyed empty seats. Despite being born a ‘free black’ in a ‘free state,’ she’d never been treated as equal. She’d been rejected, restricted, and refused by schools, restaurants, and theaters. Suddenly, late-for-church wasn’t as important as late-for-equity. Lizzie stood firm.”
After quite a ruckus, a policeman eventually threw Elizabeth Jennings off the horse-drawn streetcar.
But they were messing with the wrong young woman. The New York City native was the daughter of prosperous black abolitionists, and they were up for a fight. When Lizzie sued the streetcar company for her right to ride, she was represented by Chester Arthur, who later became our 21st President.
After presentation of evidence, the judge’s instructions to the jury included:
“The Third Avenue Railroad Company was responsible for the actions of the driver and the conductor.
People of color had the same right to ride as others.
Streetcars were required to carry all respectable, well-behaved people.”
The law clearly was on Lizzie’s side. And justice was served when the jury found in her favor. This led to the end of the “Colored People Allowed in This Car” signs on that streetcar line.
It took a lot of time and a lot more black Americans standing up for their rights, but segregation on streetcar lines across the country was slowly eradicated. It didn’t happen overnight; the struggle continued on long after they replaced the streetcar horses with motors. It was still going on when Martin Luther King, Jr. made his name during the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
But it began with Lizzie Jenkins, an antebellum freedom rider who is just now being recognized with a monument in her city of New York.
LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT! is an outstanding picture book for older readers.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks
http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
[email protected] -
In 1854, twenty-four year old Lizzie Jennings was kicked off a streetcar, illegally. The rules were that Black people could ride the regular streetcars as long as no Whites objected. She’d been born free and was a respectable school teacher. And no one objected to her riding. After her dismissal, a white man ran up to her and gave her his contact information in case she wanted him to testify on her behalf. And on February 22, 1855, her court case, Jennings v. Third Avenue Railroad Company, was heard and won. It was the first recorded court case won in the fight for equal rights on public transportation — 100 years before the well-known Rosa Parks encounter. The back matter provides far more details, including the fact that her attorney, Chester A. Arthur, went on to become the 21st President of the United States. In addition to the Author’s Note, there’s also a Bibliography, and an Artist’s Note. The soft illustrations for this book were done in watercolor on hot-press paper.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at
The Miller Memo! -
Read for the Mock Caldecott voting next January. I like to take part in the Mock Caldecott voting because I have 8 grandchildren and I like to keep current on the quality of what's available for them to borrow from the library. However, many times, I find myself learning about things that I've never heard about. This book is based on the true life events of Elizabeth Jennings who was removed from riding a street car based strictly on the fact that the conductor didn't want her there. None of the passengers protested her being on the street car but she was still forcibly removed. Someone stepped forward to volunteer as a witness and she took the case to court and won. An inspiring story about an inspiring woman who made a difference.
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I was thrilled to win a copy of LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT in an online giveaway, and even more excited to read the story of this courageous woman and the part she played in the fight against segregation on public transportation. Standard history books often gloss over the deep history of these battles and I was fascinated to learn of this court case from a time 100 years before Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott. The storytelling here is detailed and vivid, matched by stunning watercolor illustrations that help bring the historical scenes to life. Both my 11 and 14 year olds were equally engaged by the story when they picked it up. An excellent picture book!
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I'm so grateful for beautiful stories like this one that introduce readers to "ordinary" individuals who have taken a stand and done extraordinary things. Especially right now as we seek ways to make our voices heard and to figure out how we can take a stand, I love the examples of these remarkable people. Great story!
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LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT also demands to be read.
As a twenty-four-year-old free Black woman in New York City in 1854, Lizzie Jennings was not good at waiting- for anything. The illustrations reveal what back matter later articulates: Lizzie was educated, came from a well-to-do family of abolitionist activists, and lived a full life with many community responsibilities. In the opening scene, she relied on the horse-drawn streetcar to reach her church in time to play the organ, tapping her heels impatiently until it appeared.
The "tradition" in NewYork City was that Black people could ride the public streetcars if no White people on board objected. If they did, then dirty, unreliable streetcars would eventually come by, displaying a sign: "Colored People Allowed in the Car."
The opening encounter reveals that Lizzie was denied a seat by the conductor, not because of complaints from passengers, but from open racism- in a FREE Northern sate! Lizzie confronted him, indicating empty seats. He shoved and shouted, but she held her ground, and a crowd gathered as the streetcar and horses waited in place. Even after she was dumped on the street, she scrambled aboard and hung on tight.
The conductor resumed the ride, but hailed a police officer only five blocks further on the route. He soon put Lizzie out, despite her claims to having her rights violated. The officer dared her to file a complaint, saying ti would have no success.
The following sequence of events reveal surprising support: from a White witness, from her internal debate about making things worse if she lost a case, and from an organized effort to move ahead in the name of justice.
"The gavel sounded, and the case began—
Elizabeth Jennings v. The Third Avenue Railroad Company."
Remember, this happened more than a hundred years before Rosa Parks's similar protest led to the bus boycott in Montgomery. Despite a jury of only White men, her case had the support of a qualified attorney, a White male witness, and Lizzie's own willingness to assert her rights. She won the case. Others were inspired by her success and launched cases against other individual streetcar companies. They, too, moved the balance of justice toward equality.
This historical picture book has a satisfying and inspiring conclusion, followed by a note from the author that offers an equally staying elaboration on the details of Lizzie's life and times. The primary and other resources included in the back matter invite further investigations and allow readers to confirm details as they wish to do so.
This book is an exemplary nonfiction title that will appeal to early elementary readers as well as older ones, including adults. Particularly at a time in which we might despair at local and global issues, this serves as a reminder that standing up, speaking up, and sustaining our sense of self is worth the effort. That being knocked flat, denied, and insulted will not lock the door on change. Like Lizzie, we can climb aboard and hang on, accept help from advocates, and seek support form our communities.
And individual efforts can be cumulative, can become the stepping stones for those that follow.
I urge everyone to share this book with youth of any age. -
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Jennings was born free in New York City in March 1827. Lizzie’s father was the first African American to be awarded a patent, for his method to clean clothes. Lizzie’s mother was active in a society founded by New York's elite black women to promote self-improvement through community activities, reading, and discussion. In 1837 she wrote a speech entitled "On the Improvement of the Mind," which she had ten-year-old Lizzie deliver to a society meeting. The speech discussed how the neglect of cultivating the mind would help keep blacks inferior to whites, both in perception and in fact.
Thus Lizzie grew up in an atmosphere that stressed equality and activism. In adulthood, Lizzy became a schoolteacher at New York’s African Free School, as well as the organist for her church.
The story by Anderson begins when Lizzie was 24, and late for church. She and her friend tried to board a streetcar that was for whites only. Anderson writes:
“She eyed empty seats. Despite being born a ‘free black’ in a ‘free state,’ she’d never been treated as equal. She’d been rejected, restricted, and refused by schools, restaurants, and theaters. Suddenly, late-for-church wasn’t as important as late-for-equality. Lizzie stood firm.”
The driver assisted by two other men grabbed Lizzie and threw her out into the street:
“But before the driver could snap the horses into action, Lizzie picked herself up and climbed back on the streetcar.”
Five blocks later, the driver hailed a police officer, who forced Lizzie off the car.
Word of Lizzie’s treatment spread throughout her neighborhood, and a meeting was held at her church. The attendees decided to form a committee and hire a lawyer. Her case was taken on by 24-year-old Chester A. Arthur, son of an abolitionist preacher and the future twenty-first president.
Seven months later, the case, Elizabeth Jennings v. The Third Avenue Railroad Company, was heard in court. Lizzie won her case, and the next day, the “Colored People Allowed in This Car” signs on the Third Avenue streetcars came down. Lizzie was awarded $225 in damages (comparable to over $6,500 today), and $22.50 in costs. The next day, the Third Avenue Railroad Company ordered its cars desegregated. New York's public transit was fully desegregated by 1861. Furthermore, the New York State Supreme Court, Brooklyn Circuit
ruled that African Americans could not be excluded from transit provided they were “sober, well behaved, and free from disease.” The precedent was set. The author recounts:
“A few days after Lizzie’s victory, a woman fought for a seat on an Eighth Avenue streetcar. Then it happened again. And again. City after city. Decade after decade. For a century. Fighting for the right to ride. Men and women, young and old, stepped into streetcars, trains, and buses. Inspired by the strength of those who came before them.”
Elizabeth Jennings devoted her life to educating black children, opening the first kindergarten for them in 1895, which she operated until her death in 1901.
Back matter includes an Author’s Note with more background about Elizabeth Jennings, an extensive bibliography, and suggestions for further reading.
In the Afterword the author tells us that Elizabeth Jennings v. The Third Avenue Railroad Company was the first recorded case won in the fight for equal rights on public transportation. In the South, it took much longer for the rules to change. As many people know, it was 1955 when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama, and Martin Luther King, Jr. took up her cause.
In 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s wife Chirlane Irene McCray announced that New York City would build a statue near Grand Central Terminal honoring Lizzie.
Award-winning illustration E.B. Lewis employs powerful dappled watercolors in his signature style that blurs details in the background to make the important elements of the pictures more prominent.
An Educator Guide for this book directed to grades 2-5 can be found online
here.
Evaluation: This woman’s bravery ought to inspire the intended audience (variously given as 5-8 or 7-10). It will be instructive for children to understand the many ways in which racism has always hurt black people in this country, whether during slavery or after it ended. The story will resonate even more now with the turmoil in the country. Children can benefit from contemplating
the words of Michelle Obama, following the murder of George Floyd:
"Race and racism is a reality that so many of us grow up learning to just deal with. But if we ever hope to move past it, it can’t just be on people of color to deal with it. It’s up to all of us — Black, white, everyone — no matter how well-meaning we think we might be, to do the honest, uncomfortable work of rooting it out. It starts with self-examination and listening to those whose lives are different from our own. It ends with justice, compassion, and empathy that manifests in our lives and on our streets. I pray we all have the strength for that journey, just as I pray for the souls and the families of those who were taken from us."
More explicitly, YIVO, the Institute for Jewish Research, issued this statement (in part):
". . . there are no bystanders in history. History does not just happen to the 'other.' Those who chose, in the bleakest moments of World War II, to simply watch as others were rounded up and murdered, as innocent people were humiliated and dehumanized, did not just watch. They enabled.
We must not become enablers. We stand together with every organization fighting for an anti-racist future." -
Did you know that 100 years before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus in the south, a young woman sued the New York City streetcars because of segregation? When Elizabeth Jennings was thrown off a New York City streetcar because it was designated for 'whites' ...and Elizabeth was a woman of color, she picked herself up, dusted herself off...and sued!
This stirring narrative will put every kid right there...and the amazing illustrations help build the drama. A story every elementary school child needs to hear...as a former teacher, I highly recommend this be added to every state reading list! -
"Lizzie was in a hurry. A big hurry. The kind of hurry she couldn't hold back."
Beth Anderson deftly shows Elizabeth Jenning's inspirational story! This is the kind of book that will teach kids about discrimination, courage, and the power one person has to make a difference in the world. -
More new history for me through picture books! This time I learned about an early (not the first) court case around segregated street cars -- 1854 in New York City. Lizzy Jennings was a Black women from a well-off family that was involved in abolition work. When she was roughly tossed off a streetcar by an obnoxious conductor, she sued and won damages, which started the momentum for more lawsuits that ended with New York having desegregated cars in 1873. (not quite 20 years!) The text ends with the idea that Jennings was part of a wave of courageous push-backs that lasted years and decades and centuries, building forward. The afterward gives more details about dates of actual cases, through the Montgomery cases of Colvin and Parks.
The illustrations are vivid watercolor (?) -- always take my naming of techniques as guesses rather than real life. The artist does mention that she reached for more vivid colors because she wanted to reflect how outspoken Jennings and her story should appear. I appreciate the rich use of browns for the main characters (especially because of the my recent read of
Beautiful Shades of Brown: Laura Wheeler Waring, Artist).
The back matter has rich primary and secondary sources and discusses the limits of the court record as well as what is known vs assumed, and then discusses the overall history of public transport legislation. Apparently Lizzie Jennings is now honored at the spot where she was assaulted by the conductor thanks to repeated efforts by school children, and she is also one of the first women honored by the "She Built NYC" program with a statue. -
In 1854, Lizzie Jennings boarded a streetcar in New York City. In that time, there was segregation on public transportation which was a custom not a law. Certain cars were marked for “colored people” and others were for white people who could allow people of color to ride, or not. So Lizzie didn’t know if she would be allowed to ride the car she boarded. No passengers disputed her right to ride, but the conductor did. He forced her off the car and when she argued and boarded again, the police were called. Lizzie was educated as a teacher and her family had fought for their civil rights, so she decided to fight back in court and sued the streetcar company. She even had a white passenger who offered to be a witness to the way she was treated that day. In the end, Jennings won a landmark case for civil rights in public transportation. It didn’t fix every streetcar in New York right away, but led to other people fighting for their rights to ride too.
Anderson takes one of the first legal victories against segregation and creates a dynamic look at a critical moment in our national history. This little-known event, particularly compared to Rosa Parks, helps set the stage for the civil rights movement that followed. Lizzie also breaks stereotypes of African Americans on her time period with her level of education and wealth.
The illustrations are done in watercolor with amazing backgrounds that illuminate the scenes with their inspiring colors. Lizzie and her battle are surrounded by swirls of peach, lavenders, pinks and blues with her at the center, calm and composed.
A stirring picture book that captures early civil rights efforts. Appropriate for ages 6-9. -
My Thoughts
What It Is
This story takes the reader on Lizzie Elizabeth Jennings journey to justice as she sued, and won against, the third avenue streetcar company for discrimination.
The How (I Felt)
A century before Rosa Parks, there was Lizzie Jennings! Loved the artwork in this as well as the backmatter; on our next trip to NY, I will be sure to check out her statue.
Beth Andersen’s writing style is appealing and engaging, while the stunning watercolor illustrations perfectly and wonderfully convey both motion and emotion throughout the story.
Jenning’s determination and strength shine through the pages – through the words used to tell her story, as well as the artists renderings. She spoke up and won – causing a chain reaction of positive revolution. It was truly heartening to see the support of family and community; as well as that of a well-intentioned stranger whose random act of kindness – handing her a card and saying he would be a witness if needed for the injustice meted out to her – set the whole thing in motion.
Don’t miss the author’s note and the backmatter which includes more interesting background about Jennings as well as an extensive bibliography, and suggestions for further reading.
Perfect Pairing
Pick up a Rosa Parks biography or one about Ruby Bridges. Or read
Kid Activists .
In Summary
A wonderful must-read about a pioneer for equal rights for people of color. -
I loved the watercolors in this book. Lizzie’s face is clearly outlined and the focus of each page, despite her surroundings being depicted as fuzzy or less clear. I think this does a good job to signal to young readers that even though some physical things are unclear, Lizzie’s conviction and strength are not.
My only criticism of this book is the unclear discussion of the outcome of Lizzie’s trial. They say there is a verdict and that it’s a win for Lizzie, but I wish they had more detail. The end notes sort of say more, but admit that a great deal more legal work has to be done after Lizzie’s trial. I think more specifics around what Lizzie “won” would tighten and clarify the message around what was at stake and why her actions were so heroic.
I also think this book does a good job acknowledging Lizzie’s status as a wealthier woman whose parents had a lot of influence—an important thing to note that fairly reflects the time, as poorer women most likely had limited legal recourse when faced with similar instances of racism and discrimination. -
In 1854, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jennings, an African American schoolteacher, fought back when she was unjustly denied entry to a New York City streetcar, sparking the beginnings of the long struggle to gain equal rights on public transportation.
One hundred years before Rosa Parks took her stand, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jennings tried to board a streetcar in New York City on her way to church. Though there were plenty of empty seats, she was denied entry, assaulted, and threatened all because of her race--even though New York was a free state at that time. Lizzie decided to fight back. She told her story, took her case to court--where future president Chester Arthur represented her--and won! Her victory was the first recorded in the fight for equal rights on public transportation, and Lizzie's case set a precedent. Author Beth Anderson and acclaimed illustrator E. B. Lewis bring this inspiring, little-known story to life in this captivating nonfiction book. -
This is a before there was Rosa Parks story. Elizabeth Jennings is another fighter for equality and the her story is well told by Anderson. Jennings refuses to wait for another street car even though a White conductor blocked her way and then lied to the police saying other White passengers wanted her off the car. The rule at the time was that a Black person could ride the street car as long as no White passengers objected. Can one imagine? This is another piece of lost American history that helps to explain why there is still so much racism in American today. E.B. Lewis's illustrations are beautiful as always. Anderson includes in her notes facts about Jennings and the court case in which she sued the railroad company. We also find out an interesting fact about Chester Arthur. Excellent story to share with any age.
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When people make fun of me for being an adult who loves kids books, I think of all the things I've learned from them. Today I add to that list the story of Elizabeth Jennings.
Elizabeth Jennings gets added to the list of all the people whose stories I should know and didn't. In 1854, 101 years before Rosa Parks was arrested, Elizabeth Jennings was kicked off an NYC streetcar and challenged the streetcar in court. Her lawyer was Chester A. Arthur. 101 years it took for fighting for equality in public transportation.
This is a well done book with great back matter that also points out it was schoolchildren who worked in recent years to get Jennings memorialized. Her statue now stands in Grand Central Station. -
This is a terrific historical account of an unsung hero (now becoming author Beth Anderson’s specialty). It's filled with many fascinating details of the era including the streetcars pulled by horses and an early appearance of future president Chester Arthur. But the story is all Lizzie’s and this is what comes across in E. B. White's ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL illustrations. This would not be an easy story to illustrate, but it is done by conveying changing emotions in Lizzie's face -- it's masterful.
What an important part of history. Be sure to read the excellent back matter. I was especially interested in how NYC children rallied (twice!) to get recognition for Lizzie with a street sign. A truly lovely book. -
I took a garden tour of NYC probably seven-ish years ago and there was a black woman on the bus that graciously and passionately told me the story of Elizabeth Jennings, a woman who had boarded an NYC streetcar about 100 years before Rosa Parks boarded her bus in Alabama. That story stuck with me, but there were few books that mentioned her. I'm excited to read this picture book biography about her - and I love that it's geared for children!
ETA: I totally forgot that my Goodreads profile picture is from that tour. -
Elizabeth Jennings was late to choir practice. She caught the first horse-drawn carriage that she could find, but the conductor wouldn't allow her on the carriage because she was black. He and the driver physically threw her off the carriage. She hopped back on and she was allowed to ride until they found a police officer who demanded that she get off. She was tired of the mistreatment that she received even though she lived in a free state. She took the carriage company to court and won. She was represented by Chester Arthur (21st president).
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Before the busses, street cars. My daughter is starting to connect pieces of history and stories, and how long the equal rights struggle has been happening. It is heartbreaking thinking about the final moment that made them stand up, and all that happen before and after. We will never be able to know their day to day struggles as they were, but it is important to hear their stories. To continue to grow and change as a society where all have a seat. That we stand up for each other, not silence, but a witness.
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This is such a timely and compelling book. I'm embarrassed to admit that this particular civil rights story was unfamiliar to me, and I'm so glad to become acquainted with it. Reading about Elizabeth's Jennings fight for streetcar rights (and learning that this fight took place more than one hundred years before Rosie Parks' fight that went all the way up to the Supreme Court), put the more familiar Rosie Parks story into even clearer light. The illustrations in this story are rich with detail and emotion. Beth Anderson and E.B. Lewis have created an important book that should be read by all.
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A century before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, Lizzie Jennings stayed on a streetcar. Her personal courage led to change. This nonfiction biography of a little-known hero is a fast-paced read that will captivate children and people of all ages. E.B. White's memorable watercolor paintings bring us into Lizzie's world. A must buy for schools and libraries, and a must share for parents and others.
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Before Rosa Parks, before Claudette Colvin, even before the Civil War, blacks in NYC were told that they could only ride special streetcars. Elizabeth Jennings was a respected school teacher and church organist when she was thrown off "white" street car. She sued, and even though the jury was all white men, she prevailed! The back papers provide lots of interesting context. I will add this to the growing list of good nonfiction books centered on the black experience.
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Love the watercolor illustrations.
And it's interesting to see discrimination/segregation in the north and so early. Also fun to find out that Chester Arthur was her lawyer.
See also
Streetcar to Justice: How Elizabeth Jennings Won the Right to Ride in New York. -
Excellent read for young, old and in-between. The illustrations by EB Lewis are beautiful, stunning. It is a story that needs to be told. I was not aware of this court case of a young woman Elizabeth Jennings who stood tall and firm to demand a seat on the street car long before Rosa Parks advocated for street car rights
