Tip your hat to fashion designer and civil rights icon Mae Reeves in this picture book biography written in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture! Mae had a dream to make one-of-a-kind hats. But the path for a Black female designer was unclear, so Mae made a way, leaving her home in the segregated South to study at the Chicago School of Millinery. Mae had the skills, but craved the independence to create her own styles. So Mae found a way. In Philadelphia, she became the first Black woman to own a business on South Street. Whether you were Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Marian Anderson or a lady from the neighborhood, Mae wanted you to look good and feel special in one of her original hats. A mother, a successful entrepreneur, and a community advocate, Mae led the way. Published in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, acclaimed author Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Two Naomis) and award-winning illustrator Andrea Pippins (I Love My Hair) bring the life of fashion entrepreneur and civic organizer Mae Reeves to the page. And when you are done reading, explore Mae’s store and styles in person at her permanent exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
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Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich is the editor of The Hero Next Door and an NAACP Image award winner for her novel Two Naomis. She is also the author of 8th Grade Superzero. Beyond writing, Olugbemisola is a member of Brown Bookshelf, a website dedicated to amplifying Black and Brown voices in children’s literature, and she is on the Advisory Board of We Need Diverse Books.