The Hands Behind the Cotton: An Anthology of Tributes

By Aspen Middle School’s 2024-2025 8th Gr. Language & Literature Classes

Dear Readers,

The Hands Behind the Cotton is an anthology of literary pieces inspired by the book Day of Tears by Julius Lester.

In the Day of Tears novel, Julius Lester explores the controversy between enslaved people and their enslavers, allowing the readers to understand both sides of what occurred during The Weeping Time, a slave auction that took place in Savannah, Georgia in 1859. There were 400 enslaved people sold over three days during which time it poured rain. The book has heartfelt details, and Lester amplifies the emotions of gratitude of the enslaved people who eventually found their freedom and of loss for the those who did not.

All 8th Grade students were required to self-design a writing piece about how the book inspired them. The pieces vary in multiple writing styles from poems, essays, letters, and more. Each one tells a story and reflects on the novel in the form of a "tribute."

We hope to inform others about the prejudice people experienced during this time, and to encourage individuals to explore their perspectives and opinions about the topic of slavery.

The profits we make from our book sales will be donated to Freedom House www.freedomhouse.org

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F26QMCH9
• ISBN13: 9798313547992
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 120 Pages
• Weight: 0.38 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"