Carrie
Photo Credit: http://www.google.com/
March:
Book One is a graphic novel that tells how Georgia Congressman John Lewis
became an active participant in the civil rights movement. As a boy growing up
in rural Alabama, John Lewis saw injustices everywhere. His school was inferior
to the white school, and the prisoners he saw working the land on his way to
school were always black. A trip to the north with his uncle had to be
carefully planned…there were some gas stations where it would be unsafe for
blacks to stop. Hearing stories about the Montgomery bus boycott and about the
murder of 12 year old Emmett Till motivated
John Lewis to action. In school at Nashville, John Lewis was taught the ways of
non-violent protest. In practice sessions, he was beaten, spat on, and repeatedly
called the “n” word to test his resolve. Finally it was time to stage a sit in
at segregated lunch counters. The
process lead to his arrest, and the bombing of a friend’s house, but
eventually, the Mayor declared that all lunch counters will be desegregated.
The
rich illustrations which extend the text make it accessible to younger
students. I would recommend this book for middle schoolers. The message of standing up for justice at all
costs makes it a powerful book. The content is sometimes troubling;
particularly when young Emmett Till is killed and his murderers escape justice.
Because the “n” word is repeated
multiple times, this book would require guidance from an adult. Students who
have never heard this word would need assistance to understand the oppressive
power it held.
Works
Cited
Lewis, John. (2013.) March: Book One. San Diego, CA. Top Shelf Productions.
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