March by John Lewis
With the death of Congressman John Lewis on July 17, 2020, the choice of March was a no brainer! This is certainly a book that is not restricted to Middle School and High School readers. I sat down and read it in one afternoon cover to cover, and have been encouraging others of all ages to do so. The rave reviews are justified! Delia will be addressing the format of a graphic novel in more detail. Lewis’ choice to frame his autobiography in this way is perhaps a direct call to the youth of America, and a plea that they become familiar with the history of the civil rights movement, and how it has evolved up to the present day. Please note the beautiful dedication: “To the past and future children of the movement.” (Parents: John Lewis wrote two other memoirs. Walking With the Wind: A History of the Movement, co-written with Michael D’Orso, published in 2015; and Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America, published in 2017. In August 2020, John Meacham published His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope).
Volume 1 begins with a couple pages prelude of the Selma-Montgomery March in 1965 where John Lewis was beaten trying to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge. That particular march is not fully addressed until Vol. 3 of this graphic art memoir. Volume 1 switches back and forth in time between the moments before Barack Obama’s inauguration (check out John Lewis giving Obama a hug!) on January 20, 2009, and John Lewis recounting his story to a mother and her two sons who came from Alabama to be in DC for the inauguration, and happened to find John Lewis in his office preparing to head out for the event. Lewis gives them a tour of his office, and then launches into a history of the civil rights movement (volume one ends in 1960). The book captures Lewis’ folksy quality, and his obvious ability to connect with his constituents. The story is accessible and brings these early years of the movement to life.
As I write this, I am listening to Nina Simone singing her version of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-changin’.” Having your children read this book alone, and/or with you, provides a welcome opportunity to address exactly that. How much have times changed? How different is America now from the way it was during the civil rights era? What remains the same? What must it have felt like for someone like John Lewis to be engaged in politics for more than 50 years and to witness this current civil rights movement, symbolized perhaps most powerfully by the movement for Black lives? [As an aside, note that both Nina Simone and Bob Dylan were musicians who were vibrant examples of the intersection of art and activism, which is the foundation for Good Trouble For Kids! Here is an article for parents on Bob Dylan, and his version of the same song.]
I felt a deep sadness when John Lewis died because we lost one of the great civil rights heroes. John Lewis was a witness to one of the most dynamic eras in modern American history. His graphic art memoir makes this history highly accessible for children and adults, and it is a bridge between that time and ours. Walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge with my husband was one of the most moving experiences I had on a civil rights road trip we took through the South.
In addition to this book, I also highly recommend watching the new documentary on John Lewis, Good Trouble.
For those of you who want to dive deeper into the history of the civil rights era, here are just a very few of the characters, organizations, and events, (in addition to Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks), who are mentioned in March. These resources are for parents & kids to review together!
Brown v. Board of Education (see also Thurgood Marshall)
Claudette Colvin (read if you are interested in Rosa Parks)
CORE & Freedom Riders (recently published in the New York Times)
Diane Nash (another important woman involved in the civil rights movement)
Greensboro sit-ins (early sit-ins)
James Lawson (on non-violence)
NAACP (families can join their local branch! )
Nashville Student Movement (see also Diane Nash, James Lawson)
Reverend Ralph Abernathy (close friend & advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr.)
SNCC (John Lewis chaired this organization from 1963-66. There is a lot of information on here!)
Thurgood Marshall (first Black justice on the Supreme Court)
For teachers and parents: Check out the Zinn Education Project for a huge array of teaching materials on the civil rights era.