SuitabookPhilip Reid saves the Statue of Freedom
Steven Sellers Lapham
- Reading
- Read it as a short historical biography, pausing to clarify unfamiliar terms such as foundry, mould and enslavement. Afterwards, invite the child to distinguish documented events from anything the book leaves uncertain.
- Themes
- Skilled work under enslavement: Philip Reid is described as an enslaved person whose knowledge of plaster and metal became important to the statue project. The book’s stance on this remains unclear.
- Recognition and historical memory: The biography centres a little-known African American contributor to the Statue of Freedom, a prominent national monument. Its focus brings Reid’s contribution into view, though it is unclear whether the book examines why his role became overlooked.
- Worth knowing
- Pay particular attention to discrimination or prejudice.