Outside the Lines
This project is only possible with financial support from you. A new page is possible with every $50 raised, and donations go directly to Emily and Aimee. Thank you for donating to expand our collection and keep it available for all!
Any amount of support is important.
You can also support Aimee at her etsy store.
Malala yousafzai
(1997- )
A Pakistani advocate for all children's right to an education, at age 17 she won the Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous work. She now resides in the UK.
Audre Lorde
(1934-1992)
A Black American writer, poet and civil rights activist, her parents were Caribbean immigrants. She wrote extensively on Black Feminism and Womanism, and had a significant influence in Germany, where she spent several years of her life.
Harvey Milk
(1930-1978)
He was a trailblazing leader in civil and human rights and the first openly gay elected official in the state of California.
John Muir
(1838-1914)
He was a Naturalist and Environmental Advocate, the founder of The Sierra Club, and is sometimes called the "Father of the National Parks."
What is this?
An open door to a child's natural curiosity. The answer to the question: How do I start the conversation?
A COLORING BOOK.
in 2016 I gathered coloring pages from the internet to set out for children attending a concert of mine. The subject was social and environmental justice, and I wanted the kids' materials to reflect this too. I found scores of pictures of MLK, along with one of Susan B Anthony, and a few that were clearly scanned from a fabulous coloring book called "History of the Civil Rights Movement" from Dover Publications. The collection I gathered was not comprehensive.
After the concert, a mother called me to tell me that her 9-year-old child had been so curious after working on the page depicting the Woolworth's Lunch Counter Sit-in of 1960, that it prompted them to purchase a book about the event and learn much more. She made it clear that this conversation would not otherwise have happened at this time.
This collection is focused on a diverse range of heroes, the ones I did not find in 2016. Young, old, throughout time and from all over the world. People who fought or are fighting for rights of minorities and the oppressed, including women, girls, and the LGBTQ community. Famous people and those who are not, but really ought to be.
the artist
I knew that Aimee Belanger, would be perfect to manifest this project. She is a Boston-based painter, ceramicist, drawer, printmaker, book-binder, and teacher. She understood immediately the power that art can have in opening doors for learning and greater understanding. This is but one of her many projects. You can find her work on her website and on etsy.
Use the pages however you are inspired: busy work while waiting for dinner, part of a lesson for your class, interior design for your new baby's nursery, homeschooling, mindfulness coloring...
We offer short bios for each hero, but we hope you will be inspired to learn more about every single one. There is a wealth of information at your fingertips, you just need a reason to start looking.
Enjoy, and be sure to color outside the lines.