Project Overview

Forty students from the first integrated high school in the United States—Lowell High School in Massachusetts—sought to shed light on a few of the many men and women who have worked to create a more perfect union. They produced Achieving Equality, a book of prose and photography. 

In this book, each student shares the story of one American activist working to achieve equality—capturing a little of their life’s work and their methods for creating change—through writing and photography. Activism has no age limit. The activists profiled here created change at age 6 and at age 86. The students' collection is in no way comprehensive: it is just a snapshot of some of the brave people who made America better. Their hope is to shine a spotlight on activists not usually encountered in history classes.

The student authors believe there is much we can learn from the struggles they faced, the challenges they overcame, and the successes they achieved. The book is currently being shared with schools across the country to be used as a teaching tool - a book written by students for students.