Claire Hartfield facts for kids

Claire Hartfield (born July 3, 1957) is an American writer. She writes books about history, especially for young people. She is famous for her non-fiction book, A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919. This book won the Coretta Scott King Award.

About Claire Hartfield

Claire Hartfield was born in Chicago, Illinois. When she was 10 years old, she had a special chance to dance. She danced with the famous Russian Bolshoi Ballet company when they visited Chicago. Later, in college, she joined the Yaledancers. This is the oldest ballet group at Yale University.

You might think a history writer always loved history. But Claire Hartfield says she didn't enjoy history class much in school. She felt the textbooks didn't connect to her life. Her interest in history grew in college. She went to a protest against unfair rules in South Africa. She also read a book about a South African activist named Steve Biko. These experiences made her want to learn more about the past.

Claire Hartfield studied at Yale University. She earned a degree there. Then, she went to the University of Chicago Law School. She has three daughters.

Claire Hartfield's Books

Claire Hartfield's book, A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, tells an important story. It is about the Chicago Race Riots of 1919. During these events, many people were hurt or killed. Most of the victims were Black.

Claire first learned about these events from her grandmother. Her grandmother lived through the riots. She was 20 years old and found herself in the middle of the events in the summer of 1919.

Years later, Claire saw people protesting in the United States. This reminded her of her grandmother's story. She wrote A Few Red Drops to inspire young people. She hopes her book will help them find ways to make positive changes in the world.

The title of her book comes from a poem. The poem is called "I Am the People, the Mob" by Carl Sandburg. It was published in 1916. A line in the poem says, "Sometimes I growl, shake myself and spatter a few red drops for history to remember.” Claire found this poem while researching. She felt it perfectly captured the message of her book.

Awards and Honors

Claire Hartfield's book, A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, has won several awards.

Nominated

• 2018 L.A. Times Book Prize for A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919

Won

• 2019 Coretta Scott King Author Award for A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919
• 2019 Carter G. Woodson Book Award for A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919