Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children

This inspiring graphic novel tells the story of groundbreaking psychologist and civil rights activist Mamie Phipps Clark, PhD, and her research in the racial identity and development of self in Black children, the work that ultimately played a vital role in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.

Part of American Psychological Association’s Extraordinary Women in Psychology series.

The Children’s Book Council (CBC) – 9th-12th grade TEACHER and LIBRARIAN favorite

Mamie was born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas, during a time when United States laws intentionally disadvantaged Black people and permitted racial segregation. This profoundly impacted her life and work and instilled in her an unstoppable force to champion for Black children. Mamie made a difference with science—she studied math and psychology at Howard University. She was first the Black woman to graduate from Columbia University with a doctorate degree in psychology. Mamie expanded her earlier master’s research into the famous black-doll/white-doll experiments that exposed the negative effects of racial segregation in children. Along with her research partner and husband, Kenneth Clark, Mamie became expert witnesses in several school desegregation cases, including Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, which effectively ended racial segregation in school. Mamie dedicated her life to advocate for children who deserved more than what society offered them and she built the Northside Center in Harlem, NY to support children with special needs, academic programs, and mental health services.

Filled with interesting news stories and thought-provoking activities, this book encourages readers to carry on Mamie’s legacy and become champions for themselves and others in their community.