Our First Bus Ride Book Launch Revisits Minneapolis School Integration History
The Our First Bus Ride book launch in Minneapolis invites families and community members to explore a pivotal moment in local education history through storytelling and reflection. Hosted by Strive Publishing, the Jan. 24 event celebrates Our First Bus Ride by Derek Francis, which recounts the 1971 Hale–Field Elementary School pairing. The program includes a book reading, an intergenerational panel with alumni of the integration effort, and opportunities for conversation about equity, belonging, and the lessons history offers today.
Families and community members are invited to gather in downtown Minneapolis later this month for a book launch that centers Minnesota’s history of school integration through storytelling, reflection, and intergenerational conversation.
On Saturday, January 24, 2026, Strive Publishing will host the launch of Our First Bus Ride, a children’s book that tells the true story of the 1971 Hale–Field Elementary School pairing in Minneapolis. The event runs from 2 to 5 p.m. at Medical Arts Building, 825 Nicollet Mall, Suite 160, with entry located on the Ninth Street side of the building.
A Story Rooted in Minnesota History
Written by Derek Francis, Our First Bus Ride revisits one of Minnesota’s earliest efforts at school integration. The story is told through the perspectives of two second-grade students experiencing their first bus ride as part of the Hale–Field pairing, offering a child-centered lens on a pivotal moment in local education history.
Through themes of friendship, courage, and belonging, the book introduces young readers to the realities of change and community building during a period when schools across the state were grappling with equity and access. By grounding history in lived experience, the story creates space for meaningful dialogue between generations.
Conversation Across Generations
In addition to a reading from the book, the program will feature a panel discussion with Francis and alumni who were part of the Hale–Field pairing. Their firsthand reflections provide critical context on what integration looked like on the ground and how those experiences continue to shape perspectives on education and community today.
The discussion is designed not only as a moment of remembrance, but as an opportunity to consider how lessons from the past can inform ongoing efforts to build inclusive, welcoming schools for all children.
A Community-Centered Gathering
Hosted by Strive Publishing, the event welcomes families, educators, and community members to engage with Minnesota’s educational history in a setting that emphasizes learning, listening, and connection. Copies of Our First Bus Ride will be available for purchase, followed by an author signing.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet individuals whose lived experiences inspired the story, reinforcing the importance of preserving and sharing community narratives as part of Minnesota’s collective memory.
Event Details
What: Our First Bus Ride Book Launch
When: Saturday, January 24, 2026, 2–5 p.m.
Where: Medical Arts Building, 825 Nicollet Mall, Suite 160, Minneapolis
Note: Enter on the Ninth Street side of the building
Host: Strive Publishing
As Minnesota continues to examine its educational past and present, Our First Bus Ride offers a reminder that history lives not only in policy and court decisions, but in the stories of children, families, and communities who experienced change together.