Charlemae Hill Rollins (20 Jun, 1897 – 3 February, 1979) was a pioneer in African-American literature and head of the Chicago Public Library.
Ms. Rollins was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi. Her father was a farmer, her mother was a teacher. Rollins’ grandmother was a former slave and a pivotal person in the young child’s life.
The family moved to Oklahoma to find a better living, but discovered that black children were not allowed to attend school. The Rollins family then founded a school which their children attended.
After finishing her education and getting a teaching certificate, Ms. Hill married Joseph Walter Rollins and the couple moved to Chicago in 1919, after Joseph came back from World War I.
In 1927, Mrs. Rollins became the children’s librarian at the Chicago Public Library. She often said that learning to read at an early age was the best thing that happened to her.
Mrs. Rollins fought to change the content of children’s literature and young adult books which portrayed African-American culture in a false light (false dialect, insulting illustrations and offensive words).
We Build Together, was a milestone work and built Mrs. Rollins’ reputation as a leader in children’s literature.
Mrs. Rollins was also famous for her way of storytelling.
Mrs. Rollins was the first African-American to serve as president of the Children’s Services Division of the American Library Association (1957-1958).
Among her many awards and honors, Mrs. Rollins was the first African-American to receive an honorary life membership in the ALA (1972). The children’s room at the Hall Branch Library was named in Rollins’ honor. The Charlemae Hill Rollins Colloquium is held twice a year at North Carolina Central University, where attendees discuss how to improve library services for children.
Zohar – Man of la Book
Man of la Book
A father, husband, avid reader, blogger, software engineer & wood worker who is known the world over as a man of many interests and to his wife as “an idiot”.
