Child of the Dream: A Memoir of 1963

Review from School Library Connection:

Author Sharon Robinson is the daughter of Jackie Robinson, the first black man to play in Major League baseball. This is her memory of her experiences during 1963, a pivotal year in the Civil Rights Movement. After her father retired from baseball, he worked as a personnel vice president for Chock Full o' Nuts and was front and center in the movement. Sharon recounts his efforts to raise money and awareness and how the family was affected, most notably her brother Jackie, Jr., who had a difficult time finding his way out from under the shadow cast by his famous father. Robinson brings a new perspective to the movement, that of a wealthy black child living in the well-to-do suburbs of New York City. Jim Crow took a different twist for her: she was often one of just a few black students or children and therefore felt a bit left-out and awkward, but she was not one of the black children in the South who couldn't legally enter a facility. She was proud of her father and mother and writes about the family watching and discussing the news. She emphasizes the whole family's participation in the March on Washington and the Robinson sponsorship of two large jazz concerts on their rural property. The personal experience twist on the effects of Jim Crow and her narrative of wealthy northern blacks may fill a collection void and provide new discussion points.