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This graphic novel trilogy is a first-hand account of Congressman John Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis' personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement. Book one spans Lewis' youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall. Book two takes place after the Nashville sit-in campaign. His commitment to justice and nonviolence has taken him from an Alabama sharecropper's farm to the halls of Congress, from a segregated schoolroom to the 1963 March on Washington D.C., and from receiving beatings from state troopers, to receiving the Medal of Freedom awarded to him by Barack Obama, the first African-American president.… (more)
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Since 1987, Lewis has been the Representative for Georgia's Fifth Congressional Distinct, which covers most of the city of Atlanta, where I live, and its immediate suburbs.
March: Book 1 is the first of a trilogy of graphic novels about the life of John Lewis, which begins on the day that Barack Obama was inaugurated as President of the United States in 2009. Lewis tells the story of his life to an African American mother and her two young sons who visit his office in Washington, starting with his childhood on a farm in Pike County, Alabama, and ending on "Bloody Sunday".
Lewis recounts his love of preaching the Gospel, first to the chickens on his family farm who fell under his care and love, and later to his congregation as a teenager. He describes the tenets of nonviolence, and recalls some of the key members of the early years of the Movement, including Jim Lawson, the divinity professor at Vanderbilt University who served as an advisor to the Nashville Student Movement. The simple but powerful black and white illustrations are perfectly complemented by similarly crafted text, which makes this book a good choice for older children and adolescents, as well as adults, and it is available in printed and electronic versions. This was an excellent effort by John Lewis, his co-author Andrew Aydin, and illustrator Nate Powell, and I look forward to reading the next two novels in the trilogy soon.
“March: Book 1” starts with Lewis’s childhood as the son of a sharecropper in rural Alabama and goes through the Lunch Counter Protests in Nashville. From a young age Lewis had a drive and a passion to lead and learn, his early aspirations of being a preacher evolving into the leadership and commitment that he put forth while in the Nashville Student Movement, and then into the broader Civil Rights Movement as a whole. “March: Book 2” talks about his time with the Freedom Riders and the violence they faced during their non violent protests and demonstrations, all leading up to the March on Washington and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech. This book deals more with the growing aggression of the white citizens and government, as well as the Federal Government starting to waffle and teeter and struggle with the role that it should be playing. It’s also the book that shows Lewis and his own inner struggles, as while non violence is always the mission and the goal, his resentment and anger threatens to boil over. “March: Book 3” is the conclusion, and addresses Freedom Summer, Voting Rights, and Selma. And this story is told all within the frame of the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. Stunning framework, absolutely beautiful. There are multiple parallels between things in “Book 1” that come up again in “Book 3”, and there are themes that link all of them together not just with Lewis, but with other prominent figures as well. Lewis sets out to tell all of their stories as best he can, and the result is one of the best damn graphic novel series I have ever read.
This series is so powerful and personal, and it goes to show just how remarkable John Lewis is. He’s one of the ‘Big Six’, aka one of the most influential members of the Civil Rights Movement, and one of the only ones left, as he reminds us in “Book 1”. These books are very straight forward and simple, but they are so honest and personal that the power they have is immense. I found myself crying many times during my reads of all these books, but also laughing, and cheering, and seething. Lewis brought out so many emotions in me with his story, and his immense talent as a storyteller comes through, just as his charisma does. We get to see the story of the Civil Rights Movement through his eyes, and he tells us the stories of those involved within the movement and those who influenced it from the outside as well. Yes, at times these books are violent, and upsetting, but they need to be, because the horrors that fell upon many people during their non violent protests must never be forgotten. I think that the entirety is an accomplishment, but I understand why they gave the National Book Award to “Book 3”. After all, while it is probably symbolic of awarding the whole darn thing, I think that “Book 3” was the most powerful in terms of emotion being served, be it pride, fear, rage, or determination. It certainly was the one that had me weeping from the get go, as the very first moment was the bombing of the 16th Baptist Church that killed four little girls. The violence is absolutely horrifying, but it cannot be forgotten or glossed over. It absolutely cannot. “March: Book 3” also was the one to really address the differences of ideologies within the movement as a whole, not just between King and X, but Lewis and SNCC as well. And Lewis also has no qualms addressing the fact that LBJ, while he did ultimately get things going on a Federal level, was incredibly reluctant to do much in terms of help until he absolutely HAD to. I think that realities get lost in the historical narratives that come in our educations, and that is absolutely why the “March” Trilogy is fundamental reading when it comes to the Civil Rights Movement in this country.
And, like other graphic novels before it, I want to address the artwork in this series. Because it is beautiful in it’s simplicity, and yet powerful in it’s design. It’s all black and white, and stark and striking on every page. Nate Powell brings the story to life on the page, and he did it both with bits of humor to go along with the hope, horror, and courage. There were bits of realism to accompany the distinct style, but it always felt very tangible and very authentic. As I mentioned before, the illustrations do not gloss over the violence that was prevalent during the time, and while it certainly is disturbing, it’s done in a way that could never be dismissed as exploitative or ‘over the top’. It is incredibly honest and upsetting, but it needs to be. The reader needs to be upset and outraged by it. Because it IS upsetting, and it is outrageous.
I cannot stress enough how important the “March”Trilogy is in these uncertain and scary times. John Lewis is a treasure and an inspiration, and I feel that this is required reading. Get this in schools, get this in curriculums, get this in peoples hands. And you, you should likewise go out and get your hands on this series. You will not regret it. You will learn something. And you will be moved. Thank you, John Lewis. Thank you for so much.
Congressman John Lewis is an iconic figure within the Civil Rights movement, and the last surviving member of the “big six leadership.” He rose from being the son of sharecropper, to marching with Martin Luther King, and to the halls of Congress. This first book in a planned trilogy covers John Lewis’s youth in rural Alabama, his first meeting with Martin Luther King, the birth of the Nashville Student movement, and the battle for desegregation on the steps of City Hall. And it comes to an end all to quickly. I finished the book saying "but, but...I want more! I need the rest of the story now!" And that's such a great way to leave readers, clamoring for the next part of the story. It’s a powerful and moving story to see a firsthand account of the triumphs and sorrows of being involved in this time period in history.
Now I’m sure the first question many are asking is…why a graphic novel? Couldn't this be done in written form and come out just as well. And the answer would be…no. It’s one thing to read about the horrors or having water tossed on you, or being beaten, all because of the color of your skin. It’s a completely different matter to see it illustrated. The illustrations are masterful and you can imagine the smoke being blown in your face, someone standing over you and spitting upon you, and others throwing water or hot coffee in your face. It’s a powerful image that you won’t be able to shake. And one that you won’t be able too, or want to forget.
One of the problem that I normally see with autobiographical stories, is that they often try to give the reader to much information or even sometimes not enough information. They forget that we aren’t all familiar with the history of an individual. But this book doesn’t suffer any such problem. We move expertly between past and present, as John Lewis gives a tour to children from his district and explains his past. It’s a great way to set up the story. And more importantly you don’t ever feel like you’re missing out on something.
Nate Powell’s artwork is absolutely gorgeous. It’s done in his typical grace/style of capturing the human form oh so perfectly and it seems like this time he’s gone even further in his use of shading to give us the beauty of all different types of skin tones, each character’s is unique. His artwork is perfectly suited for this story capturing the range and intensity of emotions--the sorrow, the joy, and the fear that sends chills down your spine. That intensity, that feeling of life that he captures in their faces really makes them come alive.
You can’t help but feel moved by this story and you can’t walk away unchanged. The combination of story and art works perfectly in capturing this event and this time period. I’m predicting this book will be one of the best graphic novels of the year, perhaps even one of the best books of the year. I started recommending it to my faculty as soon as I heard about it. And one that I can’t wait for them to teach from. I give the book 5 out of 5 stars.
This book starts with Lewis' childhood and a trip that was life-changing for him. His uncle drives him from Pike County, Alabama to Buffalo, New York. He was amazed not just by the differences between a country farm and a big city, but also by the opportunity and the courtesy that was available there - to just be able to go into the store and buy what you want, black and white people living next door to one another... It started him thinking...Then he gets to hear a Martin Luther King, Jr. give a sermon on the radio, and Lewis shares that this sermon was like a "bolt of lightning" to him.
We follow him as he finishes high school and enters college just as the Civil Rights Movement is heating up - the murder of the teenaged Emmett Till, who dared to flirt with a white woman, Rosa Park's refusal to sit at the back of the bus, the Montgomery bus boycott. After hearing Jim Lawson speak about how non-violent tactics such as the Montgomery bus boycott can be applied all over the South, Lewis actively steps into the movement. This part of the book is especially moving, as the volunteers train to take whatever is dished out to them and not respond with violence.
I just cannot say enough about the beauty of this book - it's story and it's message, it's artwork, how it seamlessly transitions from 2009 back to the key points of Lewis' memory. This is just the first book of a planned trilogy; the second book was released in January of this year. Highly recommended.
It is a graphic novel about the Civil Rights movement and what John Lewis dealt with as a child and college student....He is talking to a mom and her two kids about this part of history.
I
This is one book that I may try to find in a 'hard copy' in order to put it on my shelves.
If you or someone else you know like graphic novels, and want a little history thrown in....Then this is perfect....
It is a graphic novel about the Civil Rights movement and what John Lewis dealt with as a child and college student....He is talking to a mom and her two kids about this part of history.
I
This is one book that I may try to find in a 'hard copy' in order to put it on my shelves.
If you or someone else you know like graphic novels, and want a little history thrown in....Then this is perfect....
At times the print in the graphic novel was
I look forward to continuing his story in the second installment.
This is a graphic novel depiction of Lewis’s memoir of coming-of-age during the 1960s and the impact of the Civil Rights Movement on him, and on the country.
What he has to say about that period of history and his role in the events (especially the sit-ins in Nashville
That being said, I don’t like the format. At all. I find the very dark drawings difficult to make out and read.
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2016| Task 14: A book you can finish in a day
It is a graphic novel about the Civil Rights movement and what John Lewis dealt with as a child and college student....He is talking to a mom and her two kids about this part of history.
I
This is one book that I may try to find in a 'hard copy' in order to put it on my shelves.
If you or someone else you know like graphic novels, and want a little history thrown in....Then this is perfect....