James Haskins
James S. Haskins (1941-2005) was an influential American author and educator known for his contributions to children's literature and his advocacy for civil rights. Born in Demopolis, Alabama, Haskins faced racial segregation in his early life, which shaped his perspectives and commitment to social justice. After moving to Roxbury, Massachusetts, as a teenager, he attended Boston Latin School and later pursued higher education at Alabama State University and Georgetown University.
Haskins became actively involved in the civil rights movement, assisting figures like Martin Luther King, Jr., which led to his suspension from college. His career included roles as a reporter, educator, and professor, where he sought to improve educational standards and advocate for marginalized communities. Notably, he published "Diary of a Harlem Schoolteacher," a significant work that highlighted the challenges of inner-city education.
Haskins authored numerous children's books that provided insights into often-overlooked historical figures and events, earning recognition for his ability to enrich young readers' understanding of diverse cultural narratives. His accolades include the Coretta Scott King Award and the Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award, underscoring his impact on literature and education.
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James Haskins
Writer
- Born: September 19, 1941
- Birthplace: Demopolis, Atlanta
- Died: July 6, 2005
- Place of death: New York, New York
Biography
James S. Haskins was born on September 19, 1941, at his family’s home in Demopolis, Alabama, to Henry Haskins, a contractor, and Julia Brown Haskins. The white woman for whom his mother washed laundry checked out books for Haskins because his segregated hometown public library denied him access. His mother purchased encyclopedia volumes when she bought groceries and his teachers taught him black history. Haskins moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts, when he was twelve and his mother left his father. Here, he attended Boston Latin School, receiving his high school diploma in 1958.
Haskins returned to the South to study at Alabama State University. However, he was suspended because he assisted Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Montgomery Improvement Association in civil rights work and was arrested during a protest march. He received a B.A. degree from Georgetown University in 1960. Two years later, he completed his B.S. degree at Alabama State University. He then studied social psychology at the University of New Mexico, earning an M.A. degree in 1963.
After completing his education, he was a reporter at the New York Recorder and the New York Daily News and worked for New York City’s Department of Welfare. Haskins enrolled in graduate courses at the New School for Social Research and Queens College of the City University of New York during the late 1960’s; at the same time, he taught music and special education classes in Harlem for the New York City Board of Education. By 1970, Haskins secured a position as an associate professor at Staten Island Community College of the City University of New York and guest lectured at other schools. In 1977, he accepted a professorship in the English department at the University of Florida, and lived in both Gainesville, Florida, and New York City.
Haskins served on numerous educational, business, civic, and editorial boards and consulted with academic and government groups to improve libraries and educational standards. In 1979, he enjoyed signing his books at the Demopolis public library where he had been excluded as a child. Ill from emphysema, Haskins died on July 6, 2005, in New York City.
Haskins recorded his experiences teaching special education students and in 1969, his journal was published as Diary of a Harlem Schoolteacher. Critics recognized Haskins’s debut book as a significant depiction of inner-city education. Publishers invited Haskins to write children’s books that would discuss contemporary issues. He responded by creating numerous nonfiction books, striving to produce texts that provided children with information about events and people that were overlooked in mainstream history books.
Reviewers praised Haskins’s children’s books for revealing aspects of culture and history often omitted from social studies curricula. Among his numerous writing accolades, Haskins’s biography, The Story of Stevie Wonder (1976), won the 1977 Coretta Scott King Award. His book, Rosa Parks: My Story (1992), cowritten with Parks, received the 1992 Parents Choice and 1993 Hungry Mind Awards. The 1994 Carter G. Woodson Award honored his book The March on Washington (1993). In 1994,The Washington Post/Children’s Book Guild Award recognized Haskins’s body of nonfiction writing.