Strong Inside (Young Readers Edition):the True Story Of How Perry Wallace Broke College Basketball's Color Line

Description

The inspirational true story of the first African American to play college basketball in the deeply segregated Southeastern Conference--a powerful moment in Black history.

Perry Wallace was born at an historic crossroads in U.S. history. He entered kindergarten the year that the Brown v. Board of Education decision led to integrated schools, allowing blacks and whites to learn side by side. A week after Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Wallace enrolled in high school and his sensational jumping, dunking, and rebounding abilities quickly earned him the attention of college basketball recruiters from top schools across the nation. In his senior year his Pearl High School basketball team won Tennessee's first racially-integrated state tournament.

The world seemed to be opening up at just the right time, and when Vanderbilt University recruited Wallace to play basketball, he courageously accepted the assignment to desegregate the Southeastern Conference. The hateful experiences he would endure on campus and in the hostile gymnasiums of the Deep South turned out to be the stuff of nightmares. Yet Wallace persisted, endured, and met this unthinkable challenge head on. This insightful biography digs deep beneath the surface to reveal a complicated, profound, and inspiring story of an athlete turned civil rights trailblazer.

Praise for Strong Inside

★ "This moving biography is thought-provoking, riveting and heart-wrenching, though it remains hopeful as it takes readers into the midst of the basketball and civil rights action."—Booklist, STARRED review

"This portrait of the fortitude of a young athlete will make a huge impact on teens and is guaranteed to spark serious discussion."—School Library Journal

“Even if you’re not a history buff, this important story is worth your time.”—Sports Illustrated Kids

"A fascinating, very personal account of the effect that the civil rights movement had on one individual. . . a must purchase for any middle school or high school library."—Miss Yingling Reads

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Andrew Maraniss writes sports and history-related nonfiction, telling stories with a larger social message. Andrew is special projects director at the Vanderbilt University Athletic Department, where he manages the Sports & Society Initiative. You can visit Andrew Maraniss at AndrewMaraniss.com or follow him on Twitter @TruBlu24 and on Instagram @AMaraniss.

DeAndra Hodge is an illustrator and character designer based in Washington D.C. She graduated with a BA in Fine Art from the University of Montevallo.

She's also the illustrator of both the Kid Confident and the That Girl Lay Lay book series. She can be found online at DeAndraHodgeArt.com or follow her on Twitter @DeAndra_Hodge and Instagram @DeAndraHodge_.

ORDERS

DEMANDS

Popular Categories

All Categories

Fiction

Non Fiction

Fiction

Non Fiction

Popular Categories

All Categories

Art and Crafts

Stationery

Arts & Craft

Stationery

Description

About the Author

Also by the Same Author

Bestsellers in Children

About Us

Contact Us

Help

Social Media

Popular Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

Fiction

Non Fiction

All Categories

Fiction

Non Fiction

Age Groups

Age 0-6 Categories

Age 7-12 Categories

Popular Categories

All Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

All Categories

Popular Categories

Art and Crafts

Stationery

All Categories

Arts & Craft

Stationery

Puzzles

Toys

Games

Description

About the Author

Also by the Same Author

Bestsellers in Children