Sweet Justice, Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

“You cannot be afraid if you want to accomplish anything. You got to have the willing, the spirit, and above all, you got to have the get-up.”

The story begins as Georgia’s cooking was interrupted with the news that Mrs. Rosa Parks had been arrested. Georgia lived in Montgomery, Alabama and she knew there was no justice under the segregation that existed there.

WHITES ONLY signs hung amongst the parks, blacks only served as the cooks in the kitchen of restaurants, and not ever the servers. And after a long day of work, Georgia had to stand on her feet, even though the front half of the bus was often empty. This is was her reality.

It took one incident for Georgia to protest her usual bus ride, after the driver yelled at her to get off the bus even after she paid her fare. But she wasn’t alone. On December 5th,1955 a boycott began-something was cooking in Montgomery.

On one particular evening, she saw Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with her very own eyes speaking at a local church. He was a neighbor of Gerogia and he always requested her crispy chicken when he had special company.

“My friends, there comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression.”

His voice lifted the community up and gave them hope to carry on the boycott. The people of the community came together to carpool. They even collected money to pay for the gas. Georgia decided to start cooking for the community and her collections grew and grew. She started with simple sandwiches but her offerings extended to dinners and even desserts. As her popularity grew, so did her help….her cooking helped feed the Montgomery boycott!

She even gave testimony in court for the trial of Dr. Martin Luther King’s arrest, and became even more well know. She did loose her job over this, but Dr. King encouraged her to start her own cooking business. And she did.

Georgia’s new business from her home, became more than a place to offer delicious meals, it evolved into a gathering place for fellow community members.

On December 20, 1956, Montgomery desegregated its busses and just as sweet as Georgia’s pie, was the sweet taste of justice!

"Weary feet and weary souls were lightened. It was such a night. We didn’t have to walk no more.”

Mara Rockliff tells the story of a woman who may seemed to have served behind the scenes of the Montgomery Boycott, but her efforts and cooking is the food that fueled it. Georgia Gilmore’s heart and soul is strongly evident throughout this story. The author made me feel as if I knew her…and I just wanted to know her. The meals that she prepared for her fellow community members was her way of expressing her love, feeding them hope, nourishing them with encouragment, and keeping them hungry to come back for more until the boycott ended. She did and incredible job at that.

I found her personal story so compelling. To hear that she fed Dr. Martin Luther King, and hosted the company of Senator Bobby Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and fellow activist Ralph Abernathy, she served up more than just food, she served up leadership, commitment, courage, and a determination that made her a powerful player for change during that time. A truly well written story that draws the reader in, to a different place in a different time…all rooting for something special to happen to Georgia for her good doing.

The beautiful illustrations by Caldecott Honor winner, R. Gregory Christie tell the story with their own detail and overall tone, portraying beautifully the real resemblance of Georgia, with her soft face, bright smile, and air of confidence. Every picture enhanced the words of each page, and altogether, this is a book recommended for elementary and middle school students. I myself, as a parent, who was unfamiliar about Georgia’s contribution to the boycott was utterly captivated by her story. I found her to be truly extraordinary and inspiring!

Rainbow Teacher Tips: Where do I begin (there can be so many wonderful extensions)…I think if this book is used within the upper elementary/middle school classroom, a historical inquiry about the civil rights movement, the powerful leaders of that time, the culture, cuisine, and perhaps others who may have been leading behind the scenes would be a wonderful place to begin. I’d even encourage students to learn more about Georgia and dive deep into her upbringing and family.

I definitely encourage discussing the beautiful pictures of the book and how they visually enhance and tell a story all on their own. Would be fun to take a picture and have the students write a poem about a specific image.

Students can even create a recipe card for sweet justice. What ingredients and directions does one need to prepare sweet justice?…(a cup full of determination, a sprinkle of grit, etc…) What does it taste like? Whom does it get served to? This can encourage so many unique “recipes” and foster a dynamic discussion about the book and what each student learned from Georgia’s story.

And finally, an in depth research about Mara Rockliff and R. Gregory Christie and their other published books. What inspired them to write these, how does this story compare to other pieces they have written…even a book talk about another book from the author and illustrator.

These are just a few that I can think of to start. Leave your suggestions in the comments section!

To learn more about Mara Rockliff visit her website!

To learn more about R. Gregory Christie visit his website too!