A new children’s book, “Sarah Keys Evans: The Power of Quiet Courage,” brings to life the inspiring story of a young woman whose brave stand against racial injustice helped change the course of history. The book, published by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, part of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, introduces upper elementary and middle school readers to an often-overlooked chapter in North Carolina and American history.
In 1952, while serving in the Women’s Army Corps, Sarah Keys Evans was arrested at a North Carolina bus station for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger — an act of courage that occurred three years before Rosa Parks’s historic stand in Montgomery, Ala. Evans’s decision to challenge her arrest led to the landmark case Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company, which struck down segregation in interstate bus travel.
Evans wasn’t a person anyone thought would spend the night in a jail cell — or change the world, according to the book description. “Sarah Keys Evans: The Power of Quiet Courage” tells the story of how she stood up for what was right and helped end unfair treatment.
The book was written by Amy Nathan in collaboration with Sarah Keys Evans. Nathan, a graduate of Harvard who grew up in Baltimore, is an award-winning author of more than a dozen nonfiction books for young people and adults, including two on U. S. women in the military. She first interviewed Evans in 2004 after seeing a plaque about her at the Military Women’s Memorial. The72-page book was illustrated by Jermaine Powell, a North Carolina based mixed-media artist and muralist.
Sarah Keys Evans: The Power of Quiet Courage is available now through https://uncpress.org/9780865265134/sarah-keys-evans/.
About the Division of Research and Publications
The Division of Research and Publications fosters, promotes, and encourages the study and appreciation of state history through research, writing, and outreach. The office’s mission has several components, among them are fact-finding, storytelling, and commemoration, all in service to the collective memory of North Carolinians.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.