Author(s): John Lewis and Andrew Aydin
Illustrator(s): Nate Powell
Publisher: Top Shelf Comics
Copyright Year: 2016
ISBN/ISSN: 9781603094023
REVIEWED January 1, 2017
Rating: Highly Recommended
Recommended Grade Levels: 9-12
This graphic memoir completes the highly acclaimed March trilogy, which details Congressman John Lewis’ role in the Civil Rights Movement. While it is the third installment, it can also be read on its own. The story focuses on the movement’s efforts toward voting rights for all Americans because of the restrictions set against African Americans, even after the Civil Rights Act had passed. Lewis was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee at the time, and his work was instrumental in the eventual passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The action of the story includes protests, press conferences, and marches, including Bloody Sunday and the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. The brief glimpses into present day are touching and placed for maximum impact within the memoir. Powell’s b&w illustrations use light, shadow, and strong facial expressions to convey mood. American history and literature teachers will appreciate this first-person account of a troubling time in the country’s history, with scenes featuring civil rights heroes like Martin Luther King, Jr.; Rosa Parks; Malcolm X; and Lewis himself, while teenagers will be drawn in by the format and action.
Tara Williams
Publisher's Product Description
Welcome to the stunning conclusion of the award-winning and best-selling MARCH trilogy. Congressman John Lewis, an American icon and one ofthe key figures of the civil rights movement, joins co-writer Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell to bring the lessons of history to vivid life for a new generation, urgently relevant for today's world.
By the fall of 1963, the Civil Rights Movement has penetrated deep into the American consciousness, and as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, John Lewis is guiding the tip of the spear. Through relentless direct action, SNCC continues to force the nation to confront its own blatant injustice, but for every step forward, the danger grows more intense: Jim Crow strikes back through legal tricks, intimidation, violence, and death. The only hope for lasting change is to give voice to the millions of Americans silenced by voter suppression:"One Man, One Vote."
To carry out their nonviolent revolution, Lewis and an army of young activists launch a series of innovative campaigns, including the Freedom Vote, Mississippi Freedom Summer, and an all-out battle for the soul of the Democratic Party waged live on national television.
With these new struggles come new allies, new opponents, and an unpredictable new president who might be both at once. But fractures within the movement are deepening ... even as 25-year-old John Lewis prepares to risk everything in a historic showdown high above the Alabama river, in a town called Selma.
By the fall of 1963, the Civil Rights Movement has penetrated deep into the American consciousness, and as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, John Lewis is guiding the tip of the spear. Through relentless direct action, SNCC continues to force the nation to confront its own blatant injustice, but for every step forward, the danger grows more intense: Jim Crow strikes back through legal tricks, intimidation, violence, and death. The only hope for lasting change is to give voice to the millions of Americans silenced by voter suppression:"One Man, One Vote."
To carry out their nonviolent revolution, Lewis and an army of young activists launch a series of innovative campaigns, including the Freedom Vote, Mississippi Freedom Summer, and an all-out battle for the soul of the Democratic Party waged live on national television.
With these new struggles come new allies, new opponents, and an unpredictable new president who might be both at once. But fractures within the movement are deepening ... even as 25-year-old John Lewis prepares to risk everything in a historic showdown high above the Alabama river, in a town called Selma.
Media Type: Book, eBook
Binding: HC
# Pages: 256
Price: $19.99
Genre: Nonfiction
Sub-Genre: Autobiographies