Once upon a time, before the Civil War, there was a girl named Sarah. She was a slave, which meant she had to work for someone else and didn’t have her freedom. But Sarah had big dreams of living a different life. She wanted a family, a job she loved, and a happy home.
Sarah’s father was a carpenter, which means he built things out of wood. Sarah believed she could build things too. One day, a new law was passed that freed all the slaves, and Sarah was finally free! She moved to Chicago, full of hope and dreams.
In Chicago, Sarah married a kind man named Archibald Good, and they started a family. To make money, Sarah rented out rooms in their house to people who needed a place to stay. She saved every penny she could because she had another dream: to open her own furniture store.
Sarah worked hard with her husband, making and selling furniture. She noticed that many people needed furniture that didn’t take up too much space. This gave her an idea: what if she could make a bed that folded up when not in use? That way, each child could have their own bed!
Sarah went to the lumber yard, bought some wood, and started building her invention. After many tries, she created a cabinet with a fold-out bed inside. But before selling it, she needed a patent, which is a special paper from the government that says no one else can copy your invention.
Sarah applied for a patent, but her first try was denied. She made some changes and tried again. Finally, she received a letter saying her invention was patented on July 14, 1885. Sarah was so proud! She had built more than just furniture; she had built a new life full of dreams.
Laura Wheeler Waring loved the color brown. She admired her mother’s chocolate-colored hair and her father’s caramel coat. She thought there should be many words for brown, just like there are many words for snow in some languages.
Laura spent hours mixing paints to get the perfect shades of brown for her family’s skin tones. She dreamed of her paintings hanging in museums for everyone to see. Even though there weren’t many African American artists in museums at the time, Laura was determined.
She turned her room into a gallery for her family to admire her work. Laura wanted to go to art school, so she applied to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. When she got accepted, she was thrilled!
Laura studied hard and even won a scholarship to study in Paris. She visited museums and learned from great artists. Back home, she was inspired by a singer named Marian Anderson and promised herself she would paint her one day.
Laura’s paintings became famous, and in 1944, she was invited to paint important African Americans, including Marian Anderson. Her portraits were displayed in the National Portrait Gallery, showing the beauty of diverse skin tones to everyone.
Let me tell you about Ronnie Lott. He was a boy who never gave up, no matter what. Ronnie was dedicated and tough. When he was young, he bought shoes that promised to make him jump higher. But after a fall, he realized it wasn’t the shoes; it was about how hard he tried.
Ronnie’s determination, or “grit,” helped him keep going. He joined the football team in high school and found his purpose. Even when things got tough, he never quit. Eventually, he joined a professional football team and achieved his dreams.
One day, Ronnie faced a serious injury, but he kept inspiring others with his grit. Today, he teaches kids and supports his family, showing that grit means giving your all. Remember, that little voice inside you telling you to keep trying is your grit. It’s never too late to listen to it!
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Create Your Own Invention: Just like Sarah, think about something in your home or school that could be improved. Draw a picture of your invention and explain how it works. Share your idea with your family or classmates and ask for their feedback. How would you make your invention better?
Mixing Colors Activity: Inspired by Laura Wheeler Waring, try mixing different colors of paint to create new shades. Use brown as your base color and see how many different shades you can make by adding other colors. Paint a picture using your new shades and describe what each color reminds you of.
Grit Challenge: Think of something you’ve been wanting to learn or improve, like riding a bike or drawing. Set a small goal for yourself and practice every day for a week. Keep a journal of your progress and write about how you felt when you faced challenges. What did you learn about grit and perseverance?
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any potentially sensitive or inappropriate content while maintaining the essence of the story:
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[Music] Sweet dreams, Sarah. [Music] Before the Civil War, Sarah obeyed her owner. [Music] Slaves were considered property, like livestock or tools. [Music] But every day, Sarah dreamed of a different life: a husband, a family, a job that she loved. [Music] Her father was a carpenter, and with a hammer in his hands, he could build anything. Sarah thought she could too. [Music] Then something happened that changed their lives forever: a new law freed people from slavery. [Music] Sarah moved to Chicago with freedom in her pocket, hope in her heart, and dreams swirling in her head. [Music] She made her first dream come true when she married a kind builder named Archibald Good. They started a family, her second dream. [Music] Sarah rented out rooms in their home to people who needed a place to live. She saved every penny she could to pay for her third dream: her own furniture store. Every day, Sarah worked alongside her husband, measuring and cutting. [Music] She listened to her customers, who often struggled to find affordable living spaces. [Music] Sarah looked at the furniture in their store and thought it was too bulky. [Music] Then Sarah had an idea: maybe she could build a piece of furniture that would save space for her customers. If she could create a new kind of bed that folded up when it wasn’t being used, each child could have their own bed. [Music] Sarah hurried to the lumber yard, clutching her saved coins, and when she returned home, she began building her invention. [Music] After many attempts, she finally created a cabinet with a fold-out bed inside. [Music] Archibald wanted to sell it right away, but Sarah knew she needed to get a patent to protect her invention. [Music] A patent is a piece of paper from the government that says no one else can make or sell your invention. [Music] Sarah met with a patent attorney, filled out the application, and mailed it off. The waiting began. [Music] Months passed, and finally, a letter arrived: denied. [Music] Sarah needed to prove her invention was different. [Music] After making some adjustments to her application, she sent it off again. [Music] This time, a thick envelope arrived from the U.S. Patent Office. [Music] Sarah took a deep breath and opened it. [Music] “Patent number 3221, patented July 14, 1885.” Staring at her name in print, Sarah proudly traced each letter. [Music] She had built more than a piece of furniture; she had built a life far away from slavery, a life where her dreams could come true. [Music]
[Music] Beautiful shades of brown. The art of Laura Wheeler Waring. [Music] Laura loved the color brown. She loved her mother’s chocolate-colored hair, her father’s caramel coat, and the different browns in the cheeks of her younger siblings. [Music] Some languages have many words for snow; Laura thought there should be many words for brown. [Music] It was hard to get each shade right. Laura spent hours mixing and blending, trying for the precise shade of her family’s skin tones. [Music] One day, she dreamed her paintings would hang in museums, showcasing the beauty of brown. [Music] Laura was determined, even though there were few representations of African Americans in museums at that time. [Music] She turned her room into a gallery for her family to see. [Music] Throughout high school, Laura wanted only one thing: to attend a real art school. [Music] She applied to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, far from home and nearly all white. [Music] When she received her acceptance letter, there was no question; she would go. [Music] Laura worked hard and won a scholarship to study in Paris, where she visited museums and studied the works of great artists. [Music] Back home, she was inspired by a young African American singer, Marian Anderson, and promised herself she would paint her one day. [Music] Laura’s paintings gained recognition, and in 1944, she was invited to paint important African Americans. [Music] She painted Marian Anderson, capturing her spirit and beauty. [Music] Laura’s portraits were eventually displayed in the National Portrait Gallery, allowing everyone to see the beauty of diverse skin tones. [Music]
[Music] Let me tell you a story about Ronnie Lott. When others gave up, Ronnie did not. [Music] Ronnie was dedicated and tough. As a boy, he bought shoes that promised to make him fly higher. [Music] But after a fall, he realized it was about how hard he tried. [Music] Ronnie’s grit encouraged him to never quit. [Music] He joined the football team in high school, where he found his purpose. [Music] Despite setbacks, he never gave up. [Music] Years later, he joined a professional team, achieving his dreams. [Music] One day, he faced a serious injury but continued to inspire others. [Music] Today, Ronnie teaches kids and supports his family, showing that grit is about giving your all. [Music] Remember, that inner voice telling you to keep going is your grit. [Music] It’s never too late to embrace it. [Music]
If you don’t have books, what are you waiting for? It’s a kid-safe, ad-free library full of stories. Ask your grown-up to help you explore more fun stories. [Music] Thanks for watching! For more stories, try the Vox app for free today.
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This version maintains the core messages and stories while ensuring sensitivity to the topics discussed.
