Its 1893, and Lorraine Williams cant wait to attend the Chicago Worlds Fair and see her idol, the Black opera singer Sissieretta Jones. But when activist and writer Ida B. Wells urges Black Americans to boycott the fair, Lorraines father forbids Lorraine from going. After all, there is no exhibition about the progress that the Black community has made since Emancipation, and the fair has lacked Black representation since it was first being planned. But Lorraine will do anything to see Miss Jones and ensure other Black people can hear Miss Jones sing. What does progress look like if not Sissieretta Jones, who embodies everything Lorraine wants to be? Its the storytellers that preserve a nations history. But what happens when some stories are silenced? The I Am America series features fictional stories based on important historical events about people whose voices have been excluded, lost, or forgotten over time.
When Ida B. Wells urges Black Americans to boycott the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair, young Lorraine Williams will do anything for a chance to see her idol, the Black opera singer Sissieretta Jones, perform at the fair.
