CHILDREN’S AUTHOR TO SPEAK ABOUT RACISM posted 11/12/03

Evelyn Coleman, author of the children’s book “White Sock Only,” will make a presentation on Monday, Nov. 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Adrian Tobias Room. A book-signing will follow.

Coleman has published over 15 books for children and adults, including "The Glass Bottle Tree," "The Foot Warmer & the Crow," four "Time for Kids" readers, and "What a Woman's Gotta Do," an adult mystery thriller. Honors she has received include the Bronze Award from the Worldfest Film Festival, for the film "White Socks Only", for which she wrote the screenplay; the 1999 Society of School Librarians International Honor Book Award; and the Smithsonian Most Outstanding Children's Book Title.

“White Socks Only” is a grandmother’s rendition of how she, as a little girl living in the South, mistakes a “Whites Only” sign above a drinking fountain to mean what type of socks you have to have. The incident leads to a face-off between races.

The main sponsor for the event is Cambios, the Adrian-based grassroots organization dedicated to eliminating racism through reading programs. Coleman is speaking at several area schools during her visit.

Other sponsors for the event include Lenawee NAACP, Lenawee International Club, Adrian College, Sand Creek Communities in Schools/PTO, and Siena Heights University.

For more information, contact Cambios at 517-266-9707, or Adrian College Multicultural Student Services at 517-264-3278.

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