18 & UNDER

Read Across Lawrence
City's students, adults read same book
by Jim Baker
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2001

Sarah and A. Elizabeth Delaney — known as Sadie and Bessie — were black sisters who lived side by side their entire lives, which spanned more than 100 years apiece.

In their 1993 memoir, "Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters' First 100 Years," written by Amy Hill Hearth, the sisters introduce readers to the post-Reconstruction South and black leader Booker T. Washington; Harlem's Golden Age and Lawrence resident/poet Langston Hughes; black nationalist W.E.B. Dubois; and activist Paul Robeson.

Bessie breaks barriers to become a dentist, while Sadie integrates the New York City school system as a high school teacher.

"Having Our Say," which stayed on the New York Times best-seller list for 105 weeks, is the book chosen for all of Lawrence to read as the centerpiece of this year's community literacy project.

The project, "Read Across Lawrence," is sponsored by Adventures in Imagination, a partnership of Firstar Bank, the Lied Center and the Lawrence public schools.

The goal of the project is to encourage as many Lawrence residents as possible to read the same book, then get together with friends and family to discuss it.

As part of Read Across Lawrence, there will be several book discussion events to talk about different issues raised by "Having Our Say." The events will be free and open to the public. You can attend even if you haven't finished the book.

Hearth will make several appearances in Lawrence later this month.

Hundreds of copies of "Having Our Say," purchased by Firstar Bank, are in circulation around town. There also are copies available at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.

"The idea is to get people of all ages — from 9 to 90 — in Lawrence to read the same book," says Dani Lotton Barker, a gifted education consultant at Lawrence High School who helped plan Read Across Lawrence.

Corrie McDaniel, a 17-year-old LHS senior, recently read "Having Our Say."

"I really enjoyed it. It was a new perspective on a lot of issues. The sisters had really gone through a lot. They'd seen a lot of changes in their time," Corrie says. "I think the (Read Across Lawrence) project is a great idea. It gives people a common opportunity to meet and talk about the book and issues it raises."

Corrie is planning to hear Hearth speak about the book when she visits Lawrence.

"I read the book by Avi, 'Nothing But the Truth,' that we did for the (community literacy) project last year, then I went and heard him speak. It was definitely interesting," she says.

Jane Budde, who teaches political science and economics courses at LHS, has formed a book club for students there.

Members read one book each month and then get together to discuss it. For February — Black History Month — the club will read "Having Our Say."

Members plan to attend some of the community book discussions, and when Hearth visits LHS on Feb. 28, they'll join her for lunch and to talk about "Having Our Say."

On March 1, Hearth will visit Free State High School, where she'll meet with students and be an artist-in-residence for a day.

Mike Yoder/Journal-World Photo MEMBERS OF A BOOK CLUB at Lawrence High School will be joining the "Read Across Lawrence" project when they read the book "Having Our Say," a memoir about the lives of two black sisters. Front row, from left, are Becky Wenger, Lindsey Rhoton, Justine Bowlin and Lisa Dixon. Back row, from left, are Tava Bowers, Ashley Bechard, Ashley Knight and Katie Boogher.