On his first train ride, Michael meets a new friend from the “whites only” car—but finds they can hang together for only part of the trip—in the last story in a trilogy about the author’s life growing up in the segregated South.

Michael and his granddaddy always stop working to watch the trains as they rush by their Alabama farm on the way to distant places. One day Michael gets what he’s always dreamed of: his first train journey, to visit cousins in Ohio! Boarding the train in the bustling station, Michael and his grandma follow the conductor to the car with the “colored only” sign. But when the train pulls out of Atlanta, the signs come down, and a boy from the next car runs up to Michael, inviting him to explore. The two new friends happily scour the train together and play in Bobby Ray’s car—until the conductor calls out “Chattanooga!” and abruptly ushers Michael back to his grandma for the rest of the ride. How could the rules be so changeable from state to state—and so unfair? Based on author Michael Bandy’s own recollections of taking the train as a boy during the segregation era, this story of a child’s magical first experience is intercut with a sense of baffling injustice, offering both a hopeful tale of friendship and a window into a dark period of history that still resonates today.

In stock

SKU 2-1396

Description / Book Northbound: A Train Ride Out of Segregation

On his first train ride, Michael meets a new friend from the “whites only” car—but finds they can hang together for only part of the trip—in the last story in a trilogy about the author’s life growing up in the segregated South.

Michael and his granddaddy always stop working to watch the trains as they rush by their Alabama farm on the way to distant places. One day Michael gets what he’s always dreamed of: his first train journey, to visit cousins in Ohio! Boarding the train in the bustling station, Michael and his grandma follow the conductor to the car with the “colored only” sign. But when the train pulls out of Atlanta, the signs come down, and a boy from the next car runs up to Michael, inviting him to explore. The two new friends happily scour the train together and play in Bobby Ray’s car—until the conductor calls out “Chattanooga!” and abruptly ushers Michael back to his grandma for the rest of the ride. How could the rules be so changeable from state to state—and so unfair? Based on author Michael Bandy’s own recollections of taking the train as a boy during the segregation era, this story of a child’s magical first experience is intercut with a sense of baffling injustice, offering both a hopeful tale of friendship and a window into a dark period of history that still resonates today.

We found other products you might like!

Navigating through the elements of the carousel is possible using the tab key. You can skip the carousel or go straight to carousel navigation using the skip links.
Magnet Greenwich Village
$3.00
Elevated Lines Subway Map Wrap
$7.95
Munipals Sticker Book Brooklyn Book-2
$19.95
Heart Notecard
$4.00
Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built The Brooklyn Bridge
$19.99
Adult D Train Baseball Hat
$28.00
Grand Central Terminal Clock Socks (Women 9-11)
$15.00
8 Inch Straight Wooden Track
$2.25
Fageol & Twin Coach Buses: 1922-1956 Photo Archive Book
$29.95
New York Collage Wrap
$7.95
Frequently bought together
Subway Logo N Train Ornament
$17.95
Wooden Letter X Train
$6.75
SEPTA M4 Rapid Transit Car Wooden Train
$15.95
2019 Park Line MTA Arts & Design Art Card
$25.00
Magnet Union Square
$3.00
Adult Subway Map Face Mask
Special Price $6.75 Regular Price $13.50
Chelsea 18th St Small Metal Sign
$39.95
W Train Magnet
$3.00
Kids Tee G Train (Brooklyn to Queens)
As low as $21.00