Book 3 - A Celebration
Title: A Celebration
Authors: Jessi Nelson, Kelly Schumacher, Hannah Gore, Amber Krause, Tess Botsford, Brenna Smith
Page 1
Feyikemi: Wow! City park is so crowded, Mum
Mom: Yes, It is Juneteenth! It is a big celebration in Appleton, and a big deal!
Simon: It should be a big deal, it took two whole years after the end of the civil war for African Americans to find out that they were free. I’m glad we are here to celebrate our history.
Page 2a
Grandma: When we celebrate juneteenth we are not only celebrating our Nation’s history but also the history of black people in Appleton.
Feyikemi: Look it’s Grandpa over by the stage!
Mom: Let’s go grab him and then sit down for some lunch.
Page 2b
Feyikemi and Simon: Grandpa! Grandpa! Mom and Grandma packed lunch! Let’s go eat!
Grandpa: I knew I came at just the right time. What’s for lunch.
Mom: watermelon, peach cobbler, fried chicken, cornbread, and koolaid to drink. Let’s go sit down, and we can eat and enjoy this wonderful day. What have you kids been doing this morning?
Page 3
Kid: Grandma told us all about the fur trade and the civil war over breakfast. What do you know about black people in the Fox Valley Grandpa?
Grandpa: Well I know that our history got us to where we are today. Both of you can grow to be anything you want because of the people that came before us. Here in the Fox Valley, black people were soldiers, teachers, barbers, even journalists!
Page 4
Simon: We know about the soldiers! But teaching and cutting hair doesn’t seem very exciting.
Grandpa: Teaching and cutting hair is very exciting. Education is a powerful tool, especially to black Americans. Teachers such as Gertrude Louise Hollensworth and Ada Hollensworth worked to teach the children of Appleton. The barber was important to a community because while people got their haircut they would talk about things going on in the community. The main barber, a black man, William S. Cleggett knew a lot of inside information because the people that came to him knew they could trust him.
Page 5
Feyikemi: Sounds like they were pioneers within the community. Wow !
Grandpa: You bet!. Another important source of information in Appleton was the “The Wisconsin Weekly Advocate” a newspaper that was written and read by both black and white people. Including, politicians and businessmen.
Page 6
Simon: Grandpa you only mentioned two girls in your stories, were there other black women that worked in Appleton?
Grandpa: You bet, buddy! Infact, there used to be a place called the Appleton Children’s Home. This was a place for women and their children to get help. Emma Hollensworth, the mother of the two black teachers, started this house to help the community.
Page 7a
Feyikemi: The Hollensworths seem pretty important around here.
Grandpa: They were. The Hollensworths and the Cleggetts were some of the first black families to come to Appleton and the Fox Valley. But they started to leave because it was not safe for them to live here anymore.
Page 7b
Feyikemi: What do you mean it wasn’t safe?
Grandpa: Well, some people did not treat the black community well because the color of their skin. There was an anti vagrancy ordinance, which meant police officers could harass black people. Some were even arrested just for coming here. Police officers would wait for black folks to get off the train and would arrest them right there. Since the police weren’t protecting the black community, hotels were able to turn away black customers. It wasn’t just the hotels- it was also homes. A lot of families struggled to find places to live. So families like the Hollensworths and Cleggetts began to leave.
Page 8
Simon: That’s awful! Just because of the color of their skin? Why would people do that?
Grandpa: Well a lot of people just believed that was how it was supposed to be. Society taught them that it should be that way. They did not have TV back then but they had shows that they would watch called Minstrel Shows. White people would put makeup on to make themselves look black.
Page 9
Feyikemi: That makes me sad Grandpa. I don’t think I want to be black anymore.
Grandpa: You should be proud of who you are! That’s why celebrations like Juneteenth are so important. We have worked to show that we are people just as much as anyone else, no matter our skin color. There were some scary times but we have made progress. There are no more Minstrel Shows, and kids like you can go to school and become anything you want. But that was not always the case for the black community in Appleton.
Grandma: I think it’s time for us to do some celebrating. Let’s go listen to some music and dance off some of this lunch, come on kids!
Authors: Jessi Nelson, Kelly Schumacher, Hannah Gore, Amber Krause, Tess Botsford, Brenna Smith
Page 1
Feyikemi: Wow! City park is so crowded, Mum
Mom: Yes, It is Juneteenth! It is a big celebration in Appleton, and a big deal!
Simon: It should be a big deal, it took two whole years after the end of the civil war for African Americans to find out that they were free. I’m glad we are here to celebrate our history.
Page 2a
Grandma: When we celebrate juneteenth we are not only celebrating our Nation’s history but also the history of black people in Appleton.
Feyikemi: Look it’s Grandpa over by the stage!
Mom: Let’s go grab him and then sit down for some lunch.
Page 2b
Feyikemi and Simon: Grandpa! Grandpa! Mom and Grandma packed lunch! Let’s go eat!
Grandpa: I knew I came at just the right time. What’s for lunch.
Mom: watermelon, peach cobbler, fried chicken, cornbread, and koolaid to drink. Let’s go sit down, and we can eat and enjoy this wonderful day. What have you kids been doing this morning?
Page 3
Kid: Grandma told us all about the fur trade and the civil war over breakfast. What do you know about black people in the Fox Valley Grandpa?
Grandpa: Well I know that our history got us to where we are today. Both of you can grow to be anything you want because of the people that came before us. Here in the Fox Valley, black people were soldiers, teachers, barbers, even journalists!
Page 4
Simon: We know about the soldiers! But teaching and cutting hair doesn’t seem very exciting.
Grandpa: Teaching and cutting hair is very exciting. Education is a powerful tool, especially to black Americans. Teachers such as Gertrude Louise Hollensworth and Ada Hollensworth worked to teach the children of Appleton. The barber was important to a community because while people got their haircut they would talk about things going on in the community. The main barber, a black man, William S. Cleggett knew a lot of inside information because the people that came to him knew they could trust him.
Page 5
Feyikemi: Sounds like they were pioneers within the community. Wow !
Grandpa: You bet!. Another important source of information in Appleton was the “The Wisconsin Weekly Advocate” a newspaper that was written and read by both black and white people. Including, politicians and businessmen.
Page 6
Simon: Grandpa you only mentioned two girls in your stories, were there other black women that worked in Appleton?
Grandpa: You bet, buddy! Infact, there used to be a place called the Appleton Children’s Home. This was a place for women and their children to get help. Emma Hollensworth, the mother of the two black teachers, started this house to help the community.
Page 7a
Feyikemi: The Hollensworths seem pretty important around here.
Grandpa: They were. The Hollensworths and the Cleggetts were some of the first black families to come to Appleton and the Fox Valley. But they started to leave because it was not safe for them to live here anymore.
Page 7b
Feyikemi: What do you mean it wasn’t safe?
Grandpa: Well, some people did not treat the black community well because the color of their skin. There was an anti vagrancy ordinance, which meant police officers could harass black people. Some were even arrested just for coming here. Police officers would wait for black folks to get off the train and would arrest them right there. Since the police weren’t protecting the black community, hotels were able to turn away black customers. It wasn’t just the hotels- it was also homes. A lot of families struggled to find places to live. So families like the Hollensworths and Cleggetts began to leave.
Page 8
Simon: That’s awful! Just because of the color of their skin? Why would people do that?
Grandpa: Well a lot of people just believed that was how it was supposed to be. Society taught them that it should be that way. They did not have TV back then but they had shows that they would watch called Minstrel Shows. White people would put makeup on to make themselves look black.
Page 9
Feyikemi: That makes me sad Grandpa. I don’t think I want to be black anymore.
Grandpa: You should be proud of who you are! That’s why celebrations like Juneteenth are so important. We have worked to show that we are people just as much as anyone else, no matter our skin color. There were some scary times but we have made progress. There are no more Minstrel Shows, and kids like you can go to school and become anything you want. But that was not always the case for the black community in Appleton.
Grandma: I think it’s time for us to do some celebrating. Let’s go listen to some music and dance off some of this lunch, come on kids!