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Inspiring Bright April: Race and Class in 1940s Germantown

Join Barbara Dowdall for a journey through history, literature, and social change as we explore the story behind Bright April, the pioneering children's book that first addressed racial prejudice. Discover its lasting impact, from 1940s Germantown to Obama's 2008 campaign visit, and culminating in its republication in 2020.

The illustrated children's book Bright April was groundbreaking in its discussion of racial prejudice, marking it as the first children's book, and among the first books in the United States, to address racism through the empathetic depiction of a Black family. Published in 1946, the story is set in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood and centers on April Bright, a nine-year-old Black girl and Brownie Scout. Known for her radiant personality, which inspired both her name and the book's title, the book follows April as she experiences racial prejudice while approaching her tenth birthday. The book was written by Marguerite de Angeli, a white author and illustrator, and was informed by her interviews with Black teachers, educators, and other professionals in Germantown, including Nellie Rathbone Bright, the real-life principal of the segregated Joseph E. Hill School, and Jessica Cole, the Black leader of Girl Scout Troop 338.

The way Marguerite de Angeli portrayed racial prejudice and interracial understanding in Bright April is the centerpiece of the exhibit "Inspiring Bright April: Race and Class in 1940s Germantown,” which opened last May at Historic Germantown. Barbara Dowdall, a volunteer curator and the former Head of the English Department at A. Philip Randolph Career Tech High School, will present key visual elements from the exhibit. She will also explore the connection between Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign visit in Germantown's Vernon Park and the 2020 republication of Bright April.

Click here to learn more about the "Inspiring Bright April: Race and Class in 1940s Germantown" exhibit. The exhibition is open through Spring 2024 and is free to the public.

Image Source: 'Bright April' illustrations by Marguerite de Angeli, courtesy of Purple House Press.

Date:: Thursday, February 8, 2024
Time:: 6:15pm - 7:00pm
Time Zone:: Eastern Time - US & Canada (change)
Location:: Community Room
Library:: J. Lewis Crozer Library
Audience:: Adults All Ages Children Family New Adult Seniors Teens
Categories:: Civic and Social Literacy Community Groups History Lectures Social/Cultural