A Day for Rememberin' Inspired by the True Events of the First Memorial Day

Under Charleston’s spring skies on May 1, 1865, young Eli tugs at Papa’s sleeve while Mama gathers tender mayflowers, each bloom a fragrant banner of hope for a freedom hard-won. In this stirring picture book inspired by true events, Leah Henderson guides readers through the first Memorial Day parade—abolitionists, missionaries, teachers, and military officers shoulder-to-shoulder with Black, Brown, and white families—marching past wrought-iron balconies dripping with pennants to honor the Civil War heroes who gave their lives for unity and Political Justice. Coretta Scott King Award–winner Floyd Cooper’s evocative art drenches every page in sepia-toned reverence, while archival photos, a concise timeline, and an insightful author’s note ground classroom discussions in tangible history. Through jubilant hymns, woven crosses, and the rustle of wreaths, students and faith communities witness how collective remembrance can seed enduring Racial Justice and communal healing. Will Eli’s bright eyes and the crowd’s rising chorus be enough to ensure these sacrifices echo beyond a single holiday? Open these pages, feel the march’s steady heartbeat, and learn more to bring this vital lesson on freedom into your teaching and worship circles.