Lisa Rose’s 10th children’s book is so unlike her others.
“I would think this one really shows my more serious side, my
more solemn side. All of my other books are more silly and more playful. This
book is not playful. This book is not silly. This book is very serious. This is
a really important book at this time,” said Rose of West Bloomfield
Township, who graduated from West Bloomfield High School, the University of
Michigan and Oakland University.
Her latest book, “The Singer and the Scientist,” illustrated by
Isabel Muñoz, was recently released and chronicles the friendship of
renowned singer Marian Anderson and Albert Einstein, one of the greatest
scientists of all time who developed the theory of relativity.
In 1937, Anderson – an African-American who
was one of the most famous singers in the United States at the time – sang
at the McCarter Theatre Center at Princeton University in Princeton, New
Jersey, before an all-White audience. Her performance was well-received.
However, Anderson was denied lodging at the nearby Nassau Inn
because of her skin color. She had no idea where she would spend the night. The
members of the audience who had given her a standing ovation only moments
before refused to help.
All save one.
Einstein, who taught at Princeton, was in attendance. Learning
of her plight, he invited Anderson to stay in his guest room at his house,
which was in a predominantly Black neighborhood. Einstein, who was Jewish, left
his native Germany as the Nazis rose to power. Both understood what it was like
to be treated as an outsider in their own country. That night, they bonded over
the discrimination they both faced and their love of music. Einstein told
Anderson he once played the violin. Upon her request, he started playing for
her and she started singing, which was the beginning of their long friendship.
“Knowing (Einstein’s) history and everything I researched about
him, this story rang true to who he was as a person,” said Rose. “It was no
surprise he was the only one to offer her a room for the night.”
Years later, when Anderson performed at the McCarter
again, arrangements were made for her to stay at the Nassau Inn. However, she
stayed with Einstein instead, having an open invitation.
“Einstein wasn’t accepted by the Princeton academic
community because he was Jewish,” said Rose. “He felt at home in a Black
neighborhood because he felt like an outsider... Mostly, Jews and
African-Americans were considered quote-unquote ‘outsiders.’ He could relate to
them. That’s most likely why he stayed in that community and offered to have
(Anderson) stay at his house. Nobody else rushed to her defense. It was only
Einstein.”
When Rose sold the idea for the children’s book two years ago,
no one would have predicted that in 2020 America would have to deal with not
only the coronavirus pandemic but also the many racial incidents that rocked
the nation. Most notably, on May 25, 2020, when George Floyd, a Black man, was
declared dead after a White Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee onto
Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes while he was handcuffed and pleading that
he couldn’t breathe.
In addition to Floyd and other racial incidents against
African-Americans, there also has been a surge in racial violence against Asian
Americans.
“Even leading up to (2020), we were examining the country’s
racist past and current racism and biases… It’s important at this time to show
what communities have in common and to come together to fight for equality for
all, which happened especially during the Civil Rights era when the Black and
Jewish communities were united," said Rose, who is Jewish. "In recent
years, there has been more conflict. I think our communities need to come
together to fight for equality once again. We were very powerful
together.”
While Anderson was an important figure in African-American
artists’ struggle to overcome racial prejudice in the U.S. during the mid-20th
century, she was a reluctant activist. All Anderson wanted to do was sing, Rose
said.
In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution refused to let
Anderson perform in Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Thanks to the
intervention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first lady Eleanor
Roosevelt, Anderson performed on April 9, 1939 – Easter Sunday – at the Lincoln
Memorial, singing before a mixed crowd of more than 75,000 and a radio audience
well in the millions.
In 1955, Anderson became the first African-American to perform
at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and sang at the March on
Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. She went on to win numerous awards, including the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and a Grammy
Lifetime Achievement Award.
“She felt there was a point when she sang in D.C. that it was no
longer about her and her wishes anymore. It was about that higher goal, that
she was the person who was called to do this at that time. She just wanted to
sing. She just wanted to be a singer – not a Black singer, not an activist,”
said Rose.
Despite the themes of racism and prejudice in “The Singer and
the Scientist,” that’s not the book’s main theme. Rose stated it’s about
friendship – the friendship of Anderson and Einstein – something kids can
relate to and understand.
“These two have a common experience – racism and anti-Semitism –
but really what they share is their love for music. You can be friends with
someone who doesn’t look like you. I think it’s important that kids see that
and see that representation. It’s a book for everyone,” said Rose. “I want to
stress that Jewish books have been left out of the diverse books discussion and
not considered part of that movement. I think it’s so important with
anti-Semitism on the rise that all kids read this book. No, it’s not gonna
convert you. No, you’re not gonna start observing Shabbat – they’re about our
culture and understanding our culture. It shows what we have in common with
other people who are also suffering.”
Writing “The Singer and the Scientist” made Rose understand the
importance of being a Jewish author.
“It’s who I am. It’s my background. It’s my culture… I think
it’s important our voices are heard and not silenced. I think it’s important
that we celebrate our diversity,” she said. “I understand – like Marian – it’s
not about her anymore. There is really, really something wrong in our country
now. I felt I needed to use my voice as a Jewish author to provide not only
books for Jewish children, but for all children. All of my books with a Jewish
theme are what I call ‘casual diversity,’ meaning you don’t have to be Jewish
to enjoy them.”
Rose dedicated “The Singer and the Scientist” to her mother,
Sharon Granitz.
“I didn’t have the right book yet for her to dedicate to her –
none of them were right,” she explained. “This was the perfect book for her. I
kept dedication as a surprise and presented the book to her… She was really,
really happy with the book and thanked me and was glad I waited for the right
book to dedicate to her.”