Byron McCray
Byron McCray is a freelance illustrator, graphic designer, and author hailing from Brooklyn, New York. Greatly influenced by a strong passion for music and the rich, diverse history of black culture, his mixed media paintings have been recognized by the Fort Greene Association, Art Students League of New York, and various publications. Local artists and organizations such as the Movement Theatre Company and the National Black Theatre have commissioned Byron, as well as major recording labels including Universal Music Group and Motown Records.
Reviews
A Song for the Unsung
“On August 28, 1963, more than 250,000 people descended on Washington, DC, to march for jobs and freedom for Black people. Leading the march was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but its orchestrator was Bayard Rustin, a proponent of the nonviolent resistance that would become a hallmark of the civil rights movement. Rustin’s own peaceful protests landed him in jail more than once, and he was passionately committed to civil rights. So why was he unsung during his life? Because, the authors explain, he was a gay Black man, the victim of a different kind of prejudice. Next to civil rights, music was at the center of Rustin’s life—a fact that gives this exemplary picture-book biography the imperative, on nearly every page, to invite readers to sing everything from freedom songs to “We Shall Overcome.” Rustin’s life is beautifully captured by illustrator McCray’s bold, textured artwork—created with acrylics, decorative and handmade papers, newspaper, and sheet music—which harnesses the energy and spirit of the man and the movement. Robust back matter offers further information on Rustin’s life, peaceful protest, and the March on Washington (including a YouTube link to Rustin giving a speech), plus well-curated reading lists. The result is a splendid tribute to a true hero of the civil rights movement.”—Booklist, Starred Review
“This necessary backstory of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom illuminates the significant role played by activist Bayard Rustin in that immensely successful event. Born in 1912, Rustin was raised by his grandmother on Quaker values of nonviolence and awareness of injustices suffered by fellow African Americans. In later years, he “put his feelings about equality and pacifism into action.” Undeterred in his resolve, he was beaten, arrested, and jailed for refusing to give up his seat on a bus or to fight in World War II. Upon his return from India, where he traveled to learn about nonviolent protest from Gandhi’s followers, he introduced the philosophy to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It became the strategy that anchored the civil rights movement. Although rebuked and sidelined because he was gay, Rustin remained committed to his personal agenda of equality for all. Weatherford and Sanders’s engaging and fluid narrative is accentuated with titles of protest songs, alluding to Rustin’s love of music and its importance in the civil rights movement. Acrylics in bold, vibrant colors with collage elements convey the quiet, unassuming demeanor of Rustin as well as the triumphant spirit of the March on Washington. Back matter includes a timeline, information on music and peaceful protests, a copy of the official program, and references.” —The Horn Book
“A rare tribute to a heroic figure of the civil rights movement. Distinctly underrecognized in books aimed at younger audiences (in large part because he was gay—which the authors note repeatedly), Bayard Rustin well merits the credit he gets here not only for organizing the renowned March on Washington (and speaking at it, too), but for actually introducing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the principles of nonviolent protest after learning pacifism at his Quaker grandmother’s knee, being imprisoned as a conscientious objector during World War II, and traveling to India to learn from Gandhi’s followers . . . McCray captures both a sense of the time’s widespread turmoil and of the march’s grand “mosaic of Americans” in collages that incorporate acrylics, scraps of newspaper, music, and decorated papers. Effectively raises the profile of an African American crusader who was stigmatized for more than his race alone.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Images and sound bites from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, have become familiar fodder for school curriculum on the civil rights movement. Here, however, Weatherford and Sanders introduce a key but overlooked organizer who made the event happen: Bayard Rustin, a gay, Black activist known for his singing voice and his commitment to nonviolent protest . . . McCray’s gorgeous collage-and-acrylic illustrations make the book truly memorable, with newsprint and sheet music (often from the gospel and protest songs referenced on each page) adding motion to the rich, saturated hues. Some additional sources about Rustin are included in the back matter, along with a timeline of his life; more prominent are resources on peaceful protests,music in the civil rights movement, and documents from the day of the march.”—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books