Ellington Was Not a Street - A Reflective Tribute to the African-American Community

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra

Ellington Was Not a Street presents a reflective tribute to the African-American community through a childhood home memory shared by poet Ntozake Shange. The text highlights the network of innovators who gathered there and how their creative vision shaped dignity, education, and everyday opportunities. It emphasizes resilience in the face of racial adversity and connects personal lives and art to cultural influence and social change that continues to guide readers toward tomorrow’s challenges.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages40

Reading Time1 h 2 min

AccessFree to download

ton robeson no mere memorydubois walked up my.father's stairs

In a reflective tribute to thc African-American community of old.notedpoet Ntozake Shange rccalls hcrchildhood home and thc close-knitgroup of innovators that oftengathered there.

ellingtonwasnot a streetWritten by NTOZAKE SHANGFIllustrations byKADIR NELSON ## ton robeson no mere memorydubois walked up my.father's stairs In a reflective tribute to thc African-American community of old.notedpoet Ntozake Shange rccalls hcrchildhood home and thc close-knitgroup of innovators that oftengathered there.These men of vision.brought to lifc in the majesticpaintings of artist Kadir Nelson.livedat a time when the color of their skindictated whcrc thcy could live,whatschools they could attend,and evenwhere they could sit on a bus or in amovie theater. Yet in the face of this tremcndousadversity,these dedicated souls andothers like them not onlydcmonstrated the importance ofBlack culture in America,but alsohelped issue in a movement that"changed the world."Their lives andtheir works inspire us to this day,andserve as a guide to how we approachthe challenges of tomorrow. guaranteed reinforced binding # ellington w as 0 a street w mN10ASHA90 6 K 0 空 SIMON&SCHUSTER BOOKS FORYOUNC READERSAnimprint of Simon&Schuster Children's Publishing Division123o Avemue of the Americas.New York.New York 10020Text copyright C1983 by Ntozake Shangelhustrations eopyright C200.1 by Kadir NelsonAll rights reserved.ineluding the riglit ofreproduction in whole or in part in any form.SIMON&ScIIL STER BoOKS 1OR YotG R1ADLRSis a trademark of Simon&Schuster.Inc.Book design by Paula W'inicur and Dan PotashThe text of this book is set in Filosolia.The illustrations are rendered in oils.Manufactured in China1098-654321 Library of Congress Cataloging Publication DataShange.Ntozakc. Ellington was not a street by Ntozake Shange:illustrated by Kadir Nelson.p.cm. ISBN o-68g-82884-5 1.Afro-American civil rights workers-Juvenile poetry.2.Afro-American artists一Juvenile poctry.3.Afro-American girls-Juvenile poetry.4.Children's poetry.American.[1.Afro Amcricans-Poetry.2.Amcrican poctry.]1.Nelson.Kadir.ill.11.Title. PS3569.H3324 E452002811'.54-dc21oo-045060 The poem"Mood Indigo"is reprinted from A Daughter's Geography.published by St.Martin's Press.Inc..New York.NY. To my beloved father and well-loved mother,Paul and Eloise Williams;To my sisters.Ifa and Bisa;To my brother,Paul,and his wife,Aimee— For what our lives were And what we wish our children's lives to be-N.S. For my dad,Lenwood Melvin Nelson —K.N. y

FAQs

What is the central focus of the book’s tribute?

The book centers on a reflective tribute to the African-American community and the childhood home where innovators gathered.

How does the text connect adversity to cultural impact?

It describes how, despite tremendous adversity, the dedicated community not only affirmed Black culture but helped drive a movement that “changed the world.”

Who are the poet and illustrator associated with this work?

The poem is by Ntozake Shange, and the illustrations are by Kadir Nelson.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Ezra