Edith McDermott teacher-librarian Krista Kong recommends Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Dee Romito in honour of Black History Month.
This picture book tells the story of Georgia Gilmore, an important figure in the civil rights movement whose role isn’t widely known.
Pies from Nowhere takes place in the United States, when Black people in Montgomery, Alabama boycotted the buses to protest segregation, following the arrest of Rosa Parks.
Georgia was a cook at the National Lunch Company at the time and when she found out about the boycott, she immediately jumped into action. She used her skills as a cook to organize the “Club from Nowhere,” a group of women who baked pies and other food to sell in support of the movement. The money raised helped pay for a carpooling system they could use while boycotting the buses to keep the movement going.
Even though Georgia wasn’t in the spotlight herself, she was still able to support the movement in a significant way.
As we learn about the life of Georgia Gilmore this Black History Month, we are reminded how one person can make a big difference in their community and spark change.
Pies from Nowhere: How Georgia Gilmore Sustained the Montgomery Bus Boycott is available in SD42 libraries.
- Celebrate Black History Month with resource links on the February page of our online Celebrations & Social Justice Calendar.
- Browse the Black History Month virtual classroom created by Highland Park teachers Yin Tsia and Leah Kitamura (click the images to access linked resources).
