Julius Lester facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Julius Lester
Born	(1939-01-27)January 27, 1939 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died	January 18, 2018(2018-01-18) (aged 78) Palmer, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Author musician photographer professor
Spouse(s)	Milan Sabatini

Julius Bernard Lester (born January 27, 1939 – died January 18, 2018) was an American writer who created books for both kids and adults. He was also a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for 32 years. Besides writing and teaching, Lester was active in the Civil Rights Movement, a talented photographer, and a musician who released two albums of folk music.

Julius Lester's Early Life

Julius Lester was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 27, 1939. His father, W. D. Lester, was a minister, and his mother was Julia Smith Lester. When Julius was two years old, his family moved to Kansas City, Kansas. Later, in 1952, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1960, Julius graduated from Fisk University in Nashville. He earned a degree in English, with extra studies in Art and Spanish. After college, in 1961, he moved to New York City. There, he became a folk singer and worked as a photographer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

Julius Lester was married three times and had several children. He married Joan Steinau in 1962 and they had two children, Jody and Malcolm. After they divorced, he married Alida Carolyn Fechner in 1979. They had a son named David. He later married Milan Sabatini in 1995.

Working for Civil Rights

While in college, Julius Lester became deeply involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). This group worked to end unfair treatment and segregation against African Americans. One of his most important efforts was taking part in the 1964 Mississippi Summer Project. This project, also known as "Freedom Summer," aimed to register African American voters in Mississippi.

His experiences during "Freedom Summer" were shown in a 2014 documentary called The Folk Singer. This film was part of the American Experience series on PBS. Julius Lester also traveled to North Vietnam with SNCC. He went there to take pictures and write about the damage caused by U.S. bombing.

Radio, TV, and Music

During his time in New York, Lester hosted a radio show called Uncle Tom's Cabin from 1968 to 1975. He also co-hosted a TV show called Free Time for two years.

He recorded two music albums with Vanguard Records: Julius Lester (1966) and Departures (1967). He performed his songs in many coffeehouses. Later, in 2007, a collection of songs from both albums was released on a CD called Dressed Like Freedom.

Writing About Black Power

Julius Lester's 1966 essay, "The Angry Children of Malcolm X," was a very important statement from the African-American community at that time. As he became more well-known, Lester wrote Look Out, Whitey! Black Power's Gon' Get Your Mama! in 1968. He described this book as the "first book about the black power movement by someone inside the black power movement".

Becoming Jewish

In 1982, Julius Lester converted to Judaism. He shared that his journey to Judaism began when he was seven years old. At that age, he learned that his great-grandfather on his mother's side, Adolph Altschul, was a Jewish immigrant from Germany. Adolph had married a freed slave.

After his conversion, Julius Lester adopted the Hebrew name Yaakov Daniel ben Avraham v’Sarah. He even served as a leader at the Beth El Synagogue in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, from 1991 to 2001.

Julius Lester's Teaching Career

From 1968 to 1970, while working in New York, Julius Lester taught Afro-American history. He taught at the New School for Social Research. In 1971, he started teaching at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He began as a visiting lecturer in the Afro-American Studies department. He became a full professor in 1977.

Changes in His Teaching Role

In 1988, Lester faced a disagreement with his colleagues in the Afro-American Studies department. This happened after he published his book Lovesong, which was about his conversion to Judaism. In the book, he mentioned a lecture by author James Baldwin at the university. Lester felt that some of Baldwin's comments were antisemitic.

Because of this, the Afro-American Studies faculty suggested that Lester be moved to a different department. After discussions, Lester transferred to the Judaic and Near Eastern Studies department. He had already been working jointly in that department since 1982. He stayed there until he retired in 2003.

Popular Courses and Awards

During his 32 years at the university, Julius Lester taught many different courses. These included "Black and White Southern Fiction," "Religion in Western Literature," and "Literature of the Harlem Renaissance." One of his largest and most popular courses was "Social Change and the 1960s."

Lester received the university's top awards for professors. He earned the Distinguished Teacher's Award and the Faculty Fellowship Award for his research. He also received the Chancellor's Medal, which is the highest honor the university gives. In 1986, he was named the Massachusetts State Professor of the Year.

Creative Works and Achievements

Besides performing and recording music, Julius Lester was a very busy writer. He wrote eight nonfiction books and 31 books for children. He also wrote one book of poetry and photographs, and three novels for adults. His first book was a guide on how to play the 12-string guitar. He wrote it with Pete Seeger.

Award-Winning Books

Many of his books won important awards. These include the Newbery Honor, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Coretta Scott King Award. He was also a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Jewish Book Award. His books have been translated into eight different languages.

Julius Lester also wrote over 200 essays and reviews for various publications. These included The New York Times Book Review, The Boston Globe, and Village Voice.

Photography Exhibits

His photographs have been shown in an exhibit about the civil rights movement at the Smithsonian Institution. He also had his own photo shows at several galleries. These included the University of Massachusetts Student Union Gallery and the Robert Floyd Photography Gallery.

Death

Julius Lester passed away on January 18, 2018. He died from problems related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after a short time in the hospital.

Written works

Awards

Book Awards

• Newbery Honor, 1969, and Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1971, both for To Be a Slave
• Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1972, and National Book Award finalist, 1973, both for The Long Journey Home: Stories from Black History
• Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1973, for The Knee-high Man and Other Tales
• Coretta Scott King honor, 1983, for This Strange New Feeling, and 1988, for Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit
• Parents' Choice Story Book award, 1987, for The Tales of Uncle Remus, and 1990, for Further Tales of Uncle Remus
• Reading Magic Award, 1988, for More Tales of Uncle Remus
• Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, American Library Association Notable Book, and Caldecott Honor, all 1995, all for John Henry
• ALA Notable Book, 1996, for Sam and the Tigers: A New Telling of Little Black Sambo, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney – runner-up for the 2016 Phoenix Picture Book Award
• Coretta Scott King Award, 2006, for his novel Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue

Other Awards

• Distinguished Teacher's Award, 1983–84
• Faculty Fellowship Award for Distinguished Research and Scholarship, 1985
• National Professor of the Year Silver Medal Award, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, 1985
• Massachusetts State Professor of the Year and Gold Medal Award for National Professor of the Year, Council for Advancement and Support of Education, both 1986
• Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, 1986–87.