Step by Step!

“Imagine you had to walk 600 miles to get fair treatment at school!” Twelve-year-old Joyce Clemons introduces a fictional memory book documenting the little-known true story of nineteen Black mothers, thirty-seven children, and their two-year march to integrate an Ohio elementary school.

Following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, Black mothers in Hillsboro, OH, attempted to enroll their children at the all-white Webster School. However, the local school board refused the call for integration. Demanding equal education, a group of Black mothers and children marched to and from Webster daily—until Black students were admitted. In Step by Step!, New York Times bestselling author Debbie Rigaud and coauthor Carlotta Penn thoughtfully capture the voice of a young activist and emphasize the power of Black mothers’ leadership. Nysha Lilly’s expressive illustrations, with historical primary sources interspersed throughout, immerse readers in the Lincoln School Marchers’ fight. Rigaud and Penn simultaneously convey the challenges the marchers faced with the uplifting joy of a united community, encouraging readers to “keep on marching” for justice.

Step by Step! is a collaboration between Ohio Humanities, Daydreamers Press, and the Lincoln School Marchers, who resolved to share their story