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On Wednesday, February 8, in partnership with Children's Book World and in honor of Black History Month, Waldron Mercy Academy hosted two authors whose works celebrate African Americans in United States History. White House reporter, Pulitzer Prize winning author and avid scuba diver, Michael H. Cottman presented on his recent book Shackles from the Deep, which describes his dive and exploration of the Henrietta Marie, an 18th century slave ship that transported slaves from the West Indies to America and sunk near the southern tip of Florida. Following Cottman, Ann Bausum, multi-award winning author, discussed her most recent book on African American history, The March Against History: The Last Great Walk of the Civil Rights Movement and the Emergence of Black Power. The March Against History retells the story of James Meredith and his 200-mile walk on Mississippi in 1966.
Students in grades six through eight and their teachers listened to the stories from Cottman and Bausum, as they described their passion for history and the important events they detailed in their books. After the talk, Anthony Repice, grade eight, reacted to how informative and compelling the authors were. Particularly fascinated with the tale of the Henrietta Marie, he said "It was interesting to hear about the dive and everything that Mr. Cottman found." Taken aback by the terrible conditions of the ship as it transported the slaves, Anthony continued, "Some of the chains weighed 10 to 13 pounds! I couldn't imagine having to wear them."
Waldron Mercy Academy enjoys frequent author visits, as they provide students with an insider's look at the author's process and allows the authors to share their passions with and inspire our students.
