On this day in 1953, children’s author Christopher Paul Curtis was born in Flint, Michigan. His books, including "The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963" and "Bud, Not Buddy," focus on the Black experience. And in 1978, the Michigan legislature voted to expel Representative Monte Geralds after his embezzlement conviction.
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Today in 1953, children’s author Christopher Paul Curtis was born in Flint, Michigan. Many of his books are set in his hometown of Flint and focus on the Black experience, including his historical novel The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963, as well as his Bud, Not Buddy, which won the esteemed Newberry Medal for children’s literature in 2000, making Curtis the first African-American to win the award.
Also today in 1978, for the second time ever, the Michigan legislature voted to expel one of its members. Representative Monte Geralds, a Democrat representing Madison Heights was convicted of embezzling thousands from an heiress he represented previous to his election in Michigan. While Geralds proclaimed his innocence, the vote was 84 to 20 to remove him. As Michigan House speaker Bobby Crim said, “Monte, this is not easy for me because I’m asking for your expulsion…I pray no future legislature will again be faced with this decision.”