Summary Of Turning Fifteen On The Road To Freedom By Blackmon Lowery

Turning Fifteen on the Road to Freedom, by Lynda Blackmon Lowery, published January 8th 2015, in a historical memoir for young adults interested in the history of the Civil Rights Movement. Blackmon Lowery turned fifteen during the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. She was the youngest person on the march, but not the youngest protester. Blackmon Lowery discusses the Civil Rights Movement through they eyes of the children who were involved. She uses her stories, PJ Loughran’s illustrations, and historical photos to give inspiring insight into the Selma Voting Rights March. Blackmon Lowery tells the story of how she went from small protests and nights in jail, to being beat and choked with gas, to marching over fifty miles to Montgomery

She also proves that many people will do anything for their rights. The book is a timeline of events with real, powerful photos and beautiful illustrations that give an understanding that can not be acquired from words alone. Blackmon Lowery begins her story at the beginning of her fight at the age of fourteen. As the story progresses she matures mentally and physically as she journeys to Montgomery. Blackmon Lowery’s detailed first person account of the Civil Rights movement can be summed up in one quote, “We had won. . . We were determined to do something and prove it. If you are determined, you can overcome your fears and then change the world. The Selma movement was a kids movement. We didn’t know it at the time. But we were making history. . . with determination, you can be a history maker, just like

The first line of the book is , “By the time I was fifteen years old, I had been in jail nine times.” That right there should be enough to empower you. Kids in her school would leave early to protest. They had it all figured out. Some would protest while others would stay in school to do work. Blackmon Lowery says, “We learned the drill real quick: We went to jail, we came back out, and then we went to jail again, be it that same day or the next day.” The system never seemed to fail them, and these kids proved to local police that they would not back down. Next came Bloody Sunday. What was supposed to be a great march, became a horrific event. As soon as protesters began to cross the Edmund Pettus bridge, they were met by troopers. Tear gas was sprayed, the beating began. Blackmon Lowery and her sister tried to run away, but when the smoke cleared you would think they were both dead. These wounds would not fully heal until Lynda Blackmon Lowery marched to Montgomery and proved it would take a lot more to bring her down. People wanted to send her home. But she wanted everyone to know that she was not just a kid. Lynda Blackmon Lowery finished the march, and proved to herself, and everyone marching that she could make a difference and that she would not be silenced. Turning Fifteen on the Road to Freedom is a great book to read