Civil Rights activist Miss Mary Hamilton was found to be in contempt of court after she demanded that an Alabama judge address her with the same honorifics used to address white people. Her case ultimately went to the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled in her favor in 1964 and brought about a permanent change in courtrooms nationwide.

Call Me Miss Hamilton: One Woman’s Case for Equality and Respect combines powerful free verse from award-winning author Carole Boston Weatherford and striking scratchboard illustrations by Jeffery Boston Weatherford to honor this unsung heroine. Read on to hear what inspired the this family team to tell Miss Hamilton’s story and what surprised them on along the way!