Walter White

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-- With his light complexion, White could have easily denied his black heritage and slipped into white society without much fear of exposure. However, as a young adult out of college, he became affiliated with the NAACP and was its director from 1931 until his death in 1955 at the age of 61. This biography of the noted leader relates how his upbringing in a segregated society enabled him to push for ways to provide greater opportunities for blacks. The toll this took on his personal life and health is related without much fanfare. Numerous black-and-white photographs of the subject and the era in which he lived reinforce and enhance the text. The bibliography contains books by White (he was also a noted author) and will benefit advanced readers. This work highlights the achievements of an individual and his organization in the struggle for equal rights and will give readers an incisive account of their dramatic impact on society. --Jeanette Lambert, LaVega School, Waco, TX