Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

Gr 1-4–Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. are familiar names in the fight for justice and equality, but unsung heroes such as Georgia Gilmore contributed to the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott, too. In fact, Gilmore had been boycotting the bus herself before Parks was arrested. For over a year, she helped support the boycott by making and selling her delicious food, then using the proceeds to pay for transportation and fines for those who were arrested unjustly. When Gilmore spoke out in court, she was fired from her job, but King encouraged her to work for herself, making food at her house. Gouache illustrations are full of life and expression; think Gordon C. James’s paintings for Derrick Barnes’s Crown. Gilmore is a big Black woman, often wearing bright colors, with a missing front tooth. Substantial back matter includes “After the Boycott” and resources.