The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial

The inspiring story of four-year-old Sarah Roberts, the first African American girl to try to integrate a white school, and how her experience in 1847 set greater change in motion. In 1847, Sarah Roberts attended a school in Boston, but was soon told she could no longer come back because the Otis School was for white children only. The Roberts family fought for change, leading to Roberts v. City of Boston, the first case challenging the legal system to outlaw segregated schools. It was also the first time an African American lawyer argued in a supreme court. These steps ultimately paved the way for equality under the law in the United States. The book includes a timeline of integration, bios on key figures, resources, and an author's note.