LINDA SUE PARK
NIK HENDERSON
RUN. SING. DREAM. A CELEBRATION OF COURAGE, VOICE, AND VISION
MA
MEGA C JAMES M VENU HA
ROSA W
MARIA RACHEL ARTIN FRED THURGOOD AUTUMN SALLY JIM AN MILDRED & RICHARD CURT ALICE NINA GRETA MARIAN TAMMY MALALA US SANDRA COLIN WANG ARVEY TEMPLE KAMALA ALTHEA TARANA IDA WANGARI BARACK MISTY SANDRA DEB SERENA
For Jonah –Linda Sue For my parents –Nik
Run. Sing. Dream. Text copyright © 2026 Linda Sue Park Illustrations copyright © 2026 Nik Henderson Published in 2026 by Red Comet Press, LLC, Brooklyn, NY All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Library of Congress Control Number: 2025935221 ISBN (HB): 978-1-63655-176-0 ISBN (EBOOK): 978-1-63655-179-1 26 27 28 29 30 TLF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition Manufactured in China Red Comet Press is distributed by ABRAMS, New York
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LINDA SUE PARK
NIK HENDERSON
RUN. SING. DREAM. R E D C O M E T P R E S S • B R O O K LY N
Rosa sat.
Martin marched.
Fred stood.
Nina and Marian sang. You can sing too.
Toni wrote. James wrote.
Mildred and Richard loved.
So did Jim and John.
Dolores and César led.
Ruby braved.
It’s hard to be brave.
Rachel warned.
Ida and Harvey insisted.
Thurgood persevered. Tarana spoke out. Sometimes they worked quietly. Other times, LOUD was better.
Althea rallied. Then Venus and Serena rallied more.
Maria danced. Misty danced. Megan and Jim kicked.
They broke records and barriers with strong bodies and even stronger minds.
Curt walked.
Barack ran. Kamala ran too.
Sally rocketed.
Alice rolled.
They couldn’t always go fast. Sometimes they had to wait for other people to catch up. It’s hard to be patient.
Tammy served.
Sandra heard.
Temple sensed.
Wangari planted.
Deb listened.
Listening is a way of learning.
Autumn believed.
Colin knelt.
Greta sailed.
Malala dreamed.
All of them, brave. What will you do to be brave?
ROSA PARKS (1913–2005) was a crucial activist during the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and ’60s. She is best known for refusing to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955. A preeminent leader of the civil rights era, REV. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. (1929–1968) preached and practiced nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience against racial discrimination, poverty, and war. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. FRED KOREMATSU (1919–2005) challenged the legality of the internment of Japanese American citizens during World War II. Although the Supreme Court ruled against him in 1944, that decision was reversed four decades later, in 1983. NINA SIMONE (1933–2003) was a jazz and R & B singer, musician, and composer who used her musical ability and achievements to address racial inequality in the U.S. MARIAN ANDERSON (1897–1993) was a classical recording artist famous for performing on the steps of Washington DC’s Lincoln Memorial in 1939, after having been banned by the Daughters of the American Revolution from singing in Constitution Hall. Among many other honors, she was the first-ever recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963.
Writer and editor TONI MORRISON (1931–2019) was the first Black woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, in 1993. She also won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1987. As the first Black female editor of fiction at Random House in the 1960s and ’70s, she introduced and promoted the work of many Black writers to the reading public. JAMES BALDWIN (1924–1987) wrote novels, poems, plays, and essays that had and continue to have a powerful influence on subsequent generations of artists, thinkers, and activists. The first Black writer on the cover of Time magazine in 1963, one of his most famous works is the novel Go Tell It on the Mountain. MILDRED LOVING (1939–2008) and RICHARD LOVING (1933–1975) were the plaintiffs in the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia. Because they were an interracial couple, their marriage was considered illegal in the state of Virginia. The Supreme Court decided unanimously in their favor, thus striking down anti-miscegenation laws through the nation. JIM OBERGEFELL (1966–) and JOHN ARTHUR (1965–2013) sued the state of Ohio in 2013 for its failure to recognize their marriage, which had taken place earlier that year in Maryland. In 2015, their case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, whose ruling legalized same-sex marriage throughout the United States.
DOLORES HUERTA (1930–) and CESAR CHAVEZ (1927–1993) cofounded the United Farm Workers, which grew into one of the U.S.’s most active and influential unions of agricultural employees. They led workers in nonviolent action, such as picketing, boycotts, and strikes, to achieve better pay and safer working conditions. Huerta was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993; Chavez received the same honor posthumously in 1994. As a six-year-old first-grader, RUBY BRIDGES (1954–) was the first Black child to attend a formerly all-white school in New Orleans, Louisiana. The images of Ruby—in news photographs and later a famed Norman Rockwell painting—came to symbolize and inspire those fighting for justice in education. RACHEL CARSON (1907–1964) was the author of Silent Spring, a book that exerted a profound influence on national environmental policy. Her work inspired generations of Americans to join grassroots movements that eventually led to the formation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 1980, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously from President Jimmy Carter.
HARVEY MILK (1930–1978) was the first openly gay man to win an election for U.S. public office when he was voted onto the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by President Barack Obama. IDA B. WELLS-BARNETT (1862– 1931) was a prominent figure in the women’s suffrage movement, a pioneering investigative journalist, educator, sociologist, and an early leader in the Civil Rights Movement. She was one of the co-founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. THURGOOD MARSHALL (1908– 1993) was a U.S. Supreme Court justice from 1967–1991 and the first Black person ever named to the court. In 1954, he argued for the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, holding that segregation in public education was unconstitutional and winning the case that led to the integration of schools in the U.S. In 1993, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. TARANA BURKE (1973–) founded the MeToo movement in 2006 to develop solidarity among women and girls who were victims of sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. She was one of those named Time magazine’s Person of the Year in 2017 as a “Silence Breaker.”
ALTHEA GIBSON (1927–2003) achieved many firsts in her career as a professional tennis player. She was the first Black player to win the prestigious Wimbledon Championships, in 1957 and again in 1958; the first to compete at the U.S. Nationals (1950); and the first to win a Grand Slam event (1956). Both Time magazine and Sports Illustrated chose her to be the first Black woman ever to appear on their covers. Her accomplishments helped pave the way for countless female athletes to follow. VENUS WILLIAMS (1980–) and SERENA WILLIAMS (1981–) are professional tennis players whose careers broke both racial and gender barriers. Venus was the first Black woman ever to be ranked number one in the world by the Women’s Tennis Association (2002). She spent years advocating for equal pay for the women’s game, finally succeeding in 2007 when the Wimbledon Championships allotted women the same amount in prize money as the men. According to the Women’s Tennis Association, Serena is ranked number one all-time in prize money. Despite winning almost three times the number of titles as the top male competitor, her earnings are only half of his; like her sister, she continues to advocate for equal pay and racial justice. She is considered by many to be not just the greatest female tennis player of all time, but the greatest athlete of any gender in any sport.
MARIA TALLCHIEF (1925–2013) was America’s first major prima ballerina for the New York City Ballet in 1948. She was a member of the Osage Tribe (Osage family name: Ki He Kah Stah Tsa), and the first American ever to dance at the famed Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. In 2015, ballerina MISTY COPELAND (1982–) became the first African American woman ever to hold the position of principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater. Among her many honors, she was the 2021 recipient of the Spingarn Medal, the highest honor given by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). MEGAN RAPINOE (1985–) is a former professional soccer player who represented the United States at two Olympics (2012 and 2020). She is a longtime advocate of equal pay for women in professional sports and LGBTQIA+ rights throughout society. She was the Federation International Football Association’s (FIFA) Player of the Year in 2019 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2022 by President Joe Biden. CURT FLOOD (1938–1997) was a star center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB), who changed professional sports when he refused to accept a trade deal in 1969. He lost his case on appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, but almost thirty years later, the Curt Flood Act was passed by Congress. The act stated that owners could no longer control players’
contracts and careers. Flood never played in the MLB again and he also received regular death threats. Because of his efforts, professional athletes can now negotiate their own contracts, which has resulted in drastically increased pay and better conditions overall. JIM THORPE (1887–1953), a member of the Sac and Fox Nation (Meskwaki name: Wa-Tho-Huk), is considered one of the all-time greatest athletes in modern sports. In addition to playing professional baseball, football, and basketball, he was the first Native American to earn an Olympic gold medal, winning both the pentathlon and the decathlon at the 1912 Summer Games in Sweden. BARACK OBAMA (1961–) was the 44th President of the United States and the first-ever African American to serve in that office. One of his most significant acts as president was the Affordable Care Act, overhauling the health-care system and extending health insurance to millions of people who had previously been uninsured. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009. As the running mate of Senator Joe Biden, KAMALA HARRIS (1964–) was elected vice president of the United States in 2020, making her the first female, first African American, and first Asian American to serve in that position.
The first American woman to fly in space, SALLY RIDE (1951–2012), was also the youngest-ever American astronaut (age thirty-two when she made her debut flight in 1982), and the first astronaut known to be LGBTQIA+. She was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Barack Obama. ALICE WONG (1974 –2025) was the founder and project coordinator of the Disability Visibility Project, which collects the oral histories of Americans with disabilities as part of the StoryCorps national nonprofit effort. These histories are preserved in the United States Library of Congress. Wong was the first person ever to visit the White House via telepresence robot, invited by President Barack Obama to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2015. TAMMY DUCKWORTH (1968–) is an American politician who was elected a United States senator representing Illinois in 2016. She was formerly a U.S. Representative and an Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, serving in the Iraq War as a helicopter pilot. When her helicopter was hit by rocket fire, she sustained injuries that resulted in the amputation of both legs. Among the many congressional barriers she has broken, she is both the first Thai American woman and the first woman with a disability elected to Congress, and the first senator to give birth while in office.
The first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice, SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR (1930–2023) was appointed to the post by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, retiring in 2006. As the leader of the Republican party in the Arizona Senate, she became the first female majority leader of a State Senate in 1973. President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. TEMPLE GRANDIN (1947–) is a scientist, an author, a prominent expert on the humane treatment of animals, especially livestock, and an activist for autism rights and neurodiversity recognition. In 2010, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2004, WANGARI MAATHAI (1940–2011) became the first African woman ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize. As an environmental activist (and later, a politician) she founded the Green Belt Movement, which to date has planted more than 51 million trees in Africa. DEB HAALAND (1960–) is the first Native American to serve as a United States cabinet secretary, named secretary of the interior in 2020 by President-elect Joe Biden. An enrolled citizen of the Laguna Pueblo Nation, she was also one of the first Native American women ever elected to Congress, representing New Mexico’s First Congressional District from 2019–2021.
A citizen of the Wiikwemkoong Anishinaabe Nation, AUTUMN PELTIER (2004–) is an Indigenous rights activist. Peltier was one of the youngest people ever to address the United Nations General Assembly when she spoke to world leaders there about water rights in 2018, at the age of thirteen. She was named chief water commissioner for the Anishinabek Nation in 2019. COLIN KAEPERNICK (1987–) is a professional American football player turned civil rights activist. In 2016, he began kneeling during the national anthem as a way of protesting racial injustice and police brutality. This gesture drew widespread attention, both supportive and critical. After the 2016 season, Kaepernick never played professional football again, and eventually settled a lawsuit based on his claim that the National Football League had shut him out. GRETA THUNBERG (2003–) is a Swedish environment activist who has traveled the globe to address world leaders on the urgency of the climate crisis. In 2019, she was Time magazine’s youngest-ever Person of the Year. In 2014, at the age of seventeen, MALALA YOUSAFZAI (1997–) was named the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in history. A human rights activist, she advocates for the education of girls and women. In 2013, she founded the Malala Fund to support educational organizations and programming worldwide.
AUTHOR NOTE When I began writing this book, what I had in mind was to introduce young readers to the great leaders of activism and social justice—in a simple way. No long histories or biographical details or deep analysis . . . So how hard could it be? As it turned out, not hard. Impossible. Winnowing down an initial list of hundreds of names was such a daunting task that I gave up on it more than once. But the idea wouldn’t leave me alone, and what I eventually arrived at is an idiosyncratic selection of people who for various reasons mean a lot to me personally. An example: I’m a lifelong baseball fan. An obvious choice would have been Jackie Robinson. Instead I chose Curt Flood, whose story fascinated me as a child even though I did not fully understand what he was doing at the time. It was only in adulthood that I realized his truly significant contribution to today’s game. I imagine that some adult readers sharing this book with children might say, “But what about ?” or “How could she leave out ?” in bafflement or even indignation. This could be the start of a rich conversation leading to countless connections. I sincerely hope for those kinds of responses. May this book be a catalyst for a lifetime of learning for readers of all ages and an inspiration for the activists of the future. –Linda Sue
Y ROSA RACHEL CURT MARTIN THURGOO ENA SALLY BARACK FRED VENUS MILDRED & ALA ALICE NINA JAMES G MARIAN TAMMY MALAL GOOD SANDRA COLIN A ETA ALTHEA MARIA TON MEGAN TEMPLE KAMAL ES ROSA TARANA HARVE WANGARI MISTY JIM & J
OD
& RICHARD GRETA LA AUTUMN IDA NI LA EY JOHN
WHAT WILL YOU DO TO BE BRAVE?
ISBN 978-1-63655-176-0
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