Joining us via Zoom will be Amy Nathan and Sharon Langley, co-authors of A Ride to Remember: A Civil Rights Story, who will tell the story of Gwynn Oak Amusement Park and the 1963 civil rights demonstrations that led to its desegregation. The narrative is told from the perspective of co-author Sharon Langley, whose family was among the first African Americans to be admitted and an iconic photograph captured her riding the carousel. Suitable for young audiences and adults.

“A Ride to Remember tells how a community came together—both black and white—to make a change. When Sharon Langley was born in the early 1960s, many amusement parks were segregated, and African-American families were not allowed entry. This book reveals how in the summer of 1963, due to demonstrations and public protests, the Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Maryland became desegregated and opened to all for the first time. Co-author Sharon Langley was the first African-American child to ride the carousel. This was on the same day of Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Langley’s ride to remember demonstrated the possibilities of King’s dream. This book includes photos of Sharon on the carousel, authors’ notes, a timeline, and a bibliography.”