Walking to the Beat of Our Streets

Featuring authors: R.J. Owens, Ariel Vanece.

Activism can show up in spaces big and small—we just need to keep up the tempo! R. J. Owens shows us the power of taking steps toward meaningful change in his picture book Walk the Walk, which follows Dex’s day walking the walk with his Papa by joining the Montgomery Bus Boycott and standing up against segregation. In Searching for Mr. Johnson’s Song, music makes the air vibrate like a thousand protesters marching for equality in Ariel Vanece’s touching story about a boy who helps his elderly neighbor find the rest of the song that has been forgotten due to dementia. With warmth and gentle authenticity, this read-aloud and discussion moderated by author, illustrator and Social Justice Book Fair co-organizer Rob Liu-Trujillo remind us about kindness and neighborliness, inspiring a new generation of activists willing to keep on walking to fight for our communities.