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"When Sharon Langley was born, amusement parks were segregated, and African American families were not allowed in. This picture book tells how a community came together--both black and white--to make a change. In the summer of 1963, because of demonstrations and public protests the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Maryland became desegregated and opened to all for the first time. Sharon and her parents were the first African American family to walk into the park, and Sharon was the first African American child to ride the merry-go-round. This was on the same day of Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Sharon's ride to remember demonstrated the possibilities of King's dream ... The carrousel, fully functional, now resides on the National Mall, near the Air and Space Museum."--Provided by publisher.… (more)
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This book is based on a true story. The Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore, Md, denied access to the carousel, and any of the rides in the park. Written by Sharon Langley, the first black child who rode the horse on this particular carousel, the book tells the importance of rebellion and the sheer stupidity and racism that many, not all, whites held against those of color.
Children who were raised to learn the golden rule of doing unto others what you would want to be treated, asked parents why whites did not adhere to this basic biblical tenant.
In 1963, people peacefully went to Gwynn Oak Amusement Park and protested peacefully. Singing songs of "We Shall Overcome," and carrying signs that demanded equal treatment, people were taken by bus to jail.
On August 28th, 1963, Sharon's mother and father entered the park. It was open to all. Marching to an ornately decorated horse, Sharon's father placed her on the carousel. Reporters and photographers were there to witness this story.
Today, on the Mall in Washington, DC, the carousel stands as a testimony to a time when people made a difference. This famous carousel ride represented the fact that the horses on the carousel all went around at the same time. No one was before, and no one was after!