Shepard, Ray Anthony. Long Time Coming, A: A Lyrical Biography of Race in America from Ona Judge to Barack Obama. R. Gregory Christie, Illus. Calkins Creek, 08/2023. 333pp. Nonfiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-6626-8066-3. GRADES 7–12. OUTSTANDING.
What’s unusual about this collective biography in free verse is that it uses these six African American icons—Ona Judge (enslaved by Martha Washington), Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells Barnett, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Barack Obama—to then present a larger biography of race in America. Arranged chronologically, the history of each person profiled reflects the events of racial injustice and oppression in the U.S., and highlights actions that impacted the movement, from escapes from slavery, to lawsuits, to Obama’s election. There is a personal tone to the text, and the author is sensitive but clear when describing the horrors of slavery, lynching, and other violent actions, making this appropriate for a wide age range. Each chapter begins with dramatic ink drawings set on stark white backgrounds which indicate the seriousness of the subject. The book concludes with source notes, timeline, index, and bibliography.
Penny Peck—SJSU iSchool