Published in the March/April 2015 issue of Books Make a Difference magazine.
A children’s book prompted a new day in court for a group of civil rights activists known as the Friendship Nine, half a century after they served jail time for attempting to sit at a whites-only lunch counter in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Seven of the surviving Friendship Nine, all in their seventies, came to court on January 28, 2015, in dressed in their Sunday best. Circuit Court Judge John C. Hayes III, whose uncle sentenced the Friendship Nine in the original case, read each of their names, along with their offense, disposition, and sentence, and then vacated the convictions of all nine men. [...]
Published in the March/April 2015 issue of Books Make a Difference magazine.
Reading Shakespeare in prisons is not new, but doing so in solitary confinement, with those considered to be the most dangerous and hardened inmates, was unheard of—until Laura Bates gave it a try. Laura’s book Shakespeare Saved My Life shares the success of her Supermax program and the transformation of convicted killer Larry Newton. Though he’ll spend his life in prison with no chance of parole, Larry says he’s free. Laura's book has prompted other prisons to set up similar programs. [...]
Published in the January/February 2015 issue of Books Make a Difference magazine.
In her accomplished career as an editor and the bestselling author of more than thirty books about the African American experience, Andrea Davis Pinkney has become as inspiring as many of the historic figures she writes about. She felt an undeniable pull to write about the Darfur genocide in her latest novel, The Red Pencil. Even through the ugly filter of war, Andrea’s longtime message shines through: Hope and joy are for everyone. [...]
Published in the January/February 2015 issue of Books Make a Difference magazine.
Fifty-four years after they went to jail for sitting at a whites-only lunch counter in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the eight surviving members of the Friendship Nine are returning to court to have their convictions vacated. Their new day in court came in no small measure from a children’s book, No Fear For Freedom: The Story of the Friendship 9, and the efforts of its author, Kimberly Johnson. “These men were treated as criminals, but they’re not,” she says. “What they did is really powerful and right.” [...]
A magazine writer and editor for much of her career, Karen writes for and publishes Books Make a Difference online magazine.
She is often asked to write features or columns for various other publications and web sites as well. In this section, you’ll find links to samples of her work.
© 2018 - Karen M. Pavlicin-Fragnito