Strange Fruit, Volume II: More Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History

Strange Fruit #2

by Joel Christian Gill

Like all legends, people fade away, but not before leaving an incredible legacy. Strange Fruit, Volume II: More Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History is a collection of stories from early African American history that represent the oddity of success in the face of great adversity. Each of the eight illustrated chapters chronicles an uncelebrated African American hero or event. Joel Christian Gill offers historical and cultural commentary on heroes whose stories are not often found in history books, such as Cathay Williams, the only known female Buffalo Soldier, and Eugene Bullard, a fighter pilot who flew for France during World War I. These beautifully illustrated stories offer a refreshing look at remarkable African Americans.

Genres: Graphic Novels, History, Nonfiction, Biography, Comics, Historical, African American

112 pages, ebook

First published February 1, 2018

About the author

Joel Christian Gill is a cartoonist and historian who speaks nationally on the importance of sharing stories. He wrote the words and drew the pictures in Fast Enough: Bessie Stringfield’s First Ride
(published by Lion Forge, 2019) and the award-winning graphic novel series Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History, as
well as, Tales of The Talented Tenth from Fulcrum Publishing. He has worked for diverse clients including the People’s United Party of Belize,
NBC, the Boston Globe and his has written for The Huffington Post. He is currently Associate Professor of Illustration at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Gill has dedicated his life to creating stories to build connections with readers through empathy, compassion, and ultimately humanity. He received his MFA from Boston University and his BA from
Roanoke College.

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these little comics. They are adorable and informative.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange Fruit, Volume II
More Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History
by Joel Christian Gill is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary.
Wow, I am glad there were people in this book I haven't read about before! Each had unique stories from about slavery to civil war or after. This is a graphics novel for teens but I am well past that and enjoyed it too!
My favorite person was Mary Fields! She was a stage coach driving, tough gal that was not going to put up with no messing! Lol!
All the people in here should be known, not an unknown hero in history! They deserve it even if they aren't around to see it.
Great historic graphic novel!

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book as soon as I finished Strange Fruit Volume 1. Volume 2 is just as good with more historical figures I was not previously aware of. I'm glad he featured women in this volume, none were featured in the first. I had heard of three of the nine people featured in the collection (Victor Green, Stagecoach Mary Fields, and Eugene Bullard). Blind Tom Wiggins and Millie & Christine McCoy's stories were very eye-opening to me. I enjoyed the book as a whole, each story was fascinating. I highly recommend you check it out.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little graphic novel is absolutely PHENOMENAL and I cannot recommend it highly enough. It covers eight stories of important black historical figures, and makes them perfectly readable for any age range. There is some creative censoring in place for young readers whose parents might not be comfortable with them seeing slurs in print, as well as older readers who don't want to be reminded of those hurtful phrases, but the point is never glossed over. That said, these stories do not focus on black pain—they focus on black pride and the amazing things these individuals have done.

The individuals highlighted in the collection are Jourdon Anderson, Stagecoach Mary Fields, Willie Kennard, Cathay Williams, Blind Tom Wiggins, Millie and Christine McCoy, Victor Green, and Eugene Bullard. All of the stories take place during the 1820s-1960s. While I was familiar with almost all of the stories, this collection made me realize I'd been fed whitewashed versions of many of them, so I'm very grateful to the author for putting together this work and showing me what really happened. It was eye-opening in a sense as it made me realize that I need to do better about ensuring that the historical information I'm reading is the truth and not yet another contribution to the systemic oppression and erasure of black history and culture.

Of course, this collection of stories would be a perfect one to recommend for Black History Month, but I want to echo what the author stated at the end of the collection: "28 days are not enough when it comes to Black History." Don't wait until BHM—pick this one up immediately, and you won't regret it!

Thank you so much to Fulcrum Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author/illustrator created these books with the hope that we could stop having a "white history" and a "black history," and work toward having one united American history.

I don't normally read graphic novels, but this was a fun way to learn about a variety of black Americans I'd never heard of before. They weren't the kind of people who would make a big historic difference like Dr. King, but they were all extraordinary in some way.

I think my favorite person in the book was Tom Wiggins. He was a blind autistic boy who wasn't even expected to live when he was an infant. He turned out to be like the Stevie Wonder of the slave era. He could learn to play any musical instrument almost instantly, and he could mimic any vocal sounds he heard, including foreign languages he had never learned. Of course, his master and manager exploited him for money and for the Confederate cause. But Tom didn't really notice or care much. He just wanted to make music, all day every day.

Gill's illustrations are very appealing. I'm looking forward to reading Volume I.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-executed with some incredibly interesting stories I was unfamiliar with.

[Thistle & Verse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a review. Opinions are my own. This middle grade graphic novel tells the biographies of 8 African American historical figures. I especially liked that a few disabled and neurodivergent people were included because their historical contributions are often downplayed or ignored. When white characters used racist slurs, the word in the speech bubbles were replaced with a caricature that looked like a gollywog. I don't know if that was necessary or even an improvement, but I found it to be thought-provoking and an innovate use of the medium. I generally thought the historical analysis was nuanced, but when it came to Tom Wiggins and Cathay Williams, it seemed like their experiences were flattened in order to offer an uplifting story. The biography talked of Tom Wiggins' skill and renown but didn't explicitly call out the ableism and dehumanization that undergirded the praise he received, which I think leaves out a big part of his story. I think it's important to explicitly name because it may not be taught in school and young readers may not recognize it for themselves. Cathay Williams' legacy as a Buffalo soldier is of mixed merit given their role in dispossessing Native Americans of their land, and the author didn't provide details of what exactly she did during her enlistment. I thought that the author generally did a good job of balancing the difficulties and complexities of the lives of those included, but I felt it fell flat in some cases. A good, memorable start for learning some more obscure African American history.

[Helly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first graphic novel I am reading that is centered around black lives. I loved it and I was moved by every story it contained. The illustrations perfectly complement the story, and ai think it is a power exclusive to graphic novels to send you to the location of events both mentally and visually. The stories arouse anger, sympathy and love - and are nothing like what I have read in graphic novels before. Highly recommended.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange Fruit, V2 was a serial read for me, as V1 had me interested. This is a continuation of the author/cartoonist's history of people the author wanted to bring to the attention of Readers:

Jourdon Anderson / Letter to his old master in response to an offer to "come back" - and an invoice for $11,680.00
Stagecoach Mary Fields / 6' Mail Deliverer in Montana
Willie Kennard / Sheriff of Yankee Hill
Cathay Williams / Contraband turned Solider
Blind Tom Wiggins / Gifted with Music
Millie & Christine / Conjoined twins - rough road, but together
Victor Green / Creator of the Green Book - ensuring a place to be safe for everybody
Eugene Bullard / Soldier, Spy, Pilot - the Black Swallow of Death
Bass Reeves / first African-American deputy US Marshall

The artwork is as informative and compelling as the text, and am so glad I found this 2nd Volume! All the stars for this one! Keep your eyes on this author/artist. . .surely good things to come.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel, which highlights untold stories from Black history, is really great.

I didn’t read the first volume, although I have always meant to, but as it’s really an anthology, you can pick up any volume.

The stories are fascinating and moving, and I love how the art and text work together. I also love little details like how he refuses to use slurs and instead puts a little icon of a minstrel-show-esque face to bleep them out. It’s a good combination of inspiring and also not leaving out the bad or less-good stuff for the sake of *only* being inspiring.

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital copy!

[Etienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not for me... the illustrations were sketchy, the narrative was not that interesting and there are not enough information to really rely on the veracity of those facts...maybe they're right but we just don't really know. I'm not a big fan of biography, but if I want to learn about someone, I need something more deeper then that. i know the comic book style was maybe to be simple and attract a younger public... not sure but anyway not for me... sorry!

[Ed Erwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice short biographies of interesting Black Americans. Would be great for middle-school students. For me, doesn't go deep enough into the more interesting stories.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joel Christian Gill has an incredible talent for bringing the stories of important but lesser-known figures from Black history into the spotlight. The stories Gill shares in Strange Fruit Volume II are the exact kind of stories I wish I had heard as a child, but I am incredibly glad for everyone, adult or child, who gets to read these stories now.

Gill uses an accessible art style to portray history in a way that is appealing without ever feeling condescending, as well as in a way that is interesting without ever appearing sensational. The storytelling style feels exactly the same, and there's something that I think is vital in getting to experience these stories for the first time from someone who cares about how those stories are being presented.

The assortment of people who are featured in this collection is quite broad. I had only properly read about one of them before (Mary Fields), and I had heard of maybe two others. I am always delighted when a collection of biographies can show me so many incredible figures that I was unfamiliar with before. I think the ability to make unknown figures known and accessible for a broad audience is vital and makes Gill a force to be reckoned with.

I highly recommend all of Joel Christian Gill's work, and Strange Fruit Volume II is no exception. Reading the first volume is not necessary to read and love the second volume. While the series isn't targeted towards younger readers, I think that anyone middle grade and up will find something to love here.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

" Mary was a gun-toting, cigar-smoking, saloon-dwelling mountain of a woman with larger-than-average hands"

Strange Fruit volume two is an excellent documentation of history that we just aren't taught in schools. Strange fruit focuses on the early African American's experience being slaves and being free after being slaves. It covers a lot of remarkable people who escaped into freedom and challenges commonly held concepts that former slaves were less educated and that there were no successful black people during this time. I think that Strange Fruit is a very important book because it does not hold back. It does not try to wash over slave ownership and makes the focus on these previously neglected African American people. I think that this is an important read and should be a staple in every school library.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the series that Gill has written and illustrated, he continues to bring the lives of blacks to the forefront. Advocating that it’s history and not “a part of” history, the message is strong and simple.

In the selected shorts that focus on a handful of narratives, all of them were names I never knew. The graphic chapter gives readers a flavor for their accomplishment and a back page shares a brief paragraph as well. They are beautifully laid out and organized so as not to be overwhelming. Gill also demonstrates the hatred that existed when he includes an exaggerated caricature to symbolize negative feelings but avoiding the words themselves which in a graphic novel packs a powerful gut punch.

More please. These uncelebrated narratives are so necessary.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to see this title available on Net Galley after having read the first volume with my family. In this installment of Strange Fruit Gill continues his endeavor to bring to light the stories of unsung African-American heroes. As with the first edition, this volume had wonderful illustrations and catchy story lines that were able to draw in the entire family. The narratives in Strange Fruit. Vol. 2 seemed to be shorter and less comprehensive than those in the prior edition, but I was pleased that it was much more inclusive with "sheroes" represented in 3 out of 8 stories. Certainly another great edition to our family library.

[Daniela Rosas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Primeira Graphic Novel que dou 5 estrelas este ano.
Neste livro contamos com várias histórias de personagens Negros que lutaram para terem a sua liberdade e para serem tratados com os mesmos direitos que os brancos.
É precisamente deste tipo de graphic novel que gosto, aqueles livros que nos fazem pensar a sorte que temos em termos nascido numa época, em que apesar de ainda existir racismo, as pessoas de cor não têm de ter medo de sair à rua ou de entrar num local publico.
Estas são histórias reais, aquelas que ninguém conhecia. Nas aulas de história contam-nos as guerras, as diferenças socias entre épocas e outras coisas. Mas ninguém nos conta os nomes daqueles que foram vitímas de escravidão, os nomes dos que não tinham liberdade e que lutavam diariamente pela mesma.

A vossa Gothic Clare

[🌒JFosbookboss🌒 · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars -Definetly going to pickup my own personal copy! This was fairly quick read for an adult, yet so easy to follow that a 5th grader could and SHOULD read it!

Volume II of Strange Fruit graphic novel tells the true stories of African-American men & WOMEN who lived during Slavery/segregation & refused to let such a stifling & debilitating laws keep them for their dreams & finding greatness!

EVERY young person & parent should read this, the artwork was great too! Im definetly going to pickup then the rest of the Strange Fruit antholgies!

[kaitlphere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the new font, art style, and title pages (in comparison to vol. 1). These stories also felt long than those in vol. 1, which I appreciated. The extra length gave me a better feel for the person's life outside of their exceptional "event." I particularly liked the stories of Cathay Williams, a women who disguised herself as a man to fight in the Civil War, and Eugene Bullard, who was a war hero in Europe but a second-class citizen at home.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stuff.
These six short biographical comics in this volume are mighty fine.
Thanks to GSU Libary at Clarkston for the loan.
Recommended.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because of its cover. Yes, I said it, I judged this book by its beautiful cover! I was NOT disappointed.

The song of the same name by Billie Holiday paints dark images of a terrible time in United States History, but I trusted that Joel Christian Gill would not give us darkness is this second volume of Strange Fruit. I was right. There is light, inspiration, and laughter throughout this beautifully illustrated and concisely written book. Gill tells the stories of 8 different people from history. He gives us beautiful illustrations and the perfect amount of text to make each story compelling and informative. Children and adults will be entertained by these stories and gain knowledge from them as they read.

Gill does touch on the darkness that flows through the history of the USA, but more than that, he shows the strength, happiness, determination, and beauty of people who make up the history of this country. The reader is introduced to many historical figures generally unknown.

These short illustrated stories are easy to read for the young and old and will inspire many to dig deeper into the lives of the people so beautifully showcased in the book.

This book should be a part of every library. Everyone needs to know about these amazing people.

[The Artisan Geek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this comic. As an European African it was very interesting for me to read about the history of African Americans. The stories were all very interesting, and I had a very fun time reading this to my mom tonight (she enjoyed it as well!). Despite the intended audience being 12-18, I found the style very accessible to older people. Furthermore, the art was aesthetically pleasing and very clean. Would definitely recommend this for a quick afternoon/evening read :).

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and Fulcrum Publishing for the copy.

[Meepelous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content warning for visual representation of lynching. It's fairly styalized but if you continue please be prepared.

And today I'm going to be highlighting a random pickup I made at the library recently that turned out to be super interesting - namely I See the Promised Land with words by novelist/essayist/performance poet/professor at Syracuse University Arthur Flowers and pictures by Patua Scroll Artist Manu Chitrakar. This cross cultural collaboration was first published in 2010 by Tara Books and later published in 2013 by Groundwood Books - with my edition being the later.

As I already mentioned the author, Arthur Flowers, is widely talented writer who (as of the second publication of this book) was working in Syracuse University's MFA program in creative writing. The executive Director of the Harlem Writers Guild, co-founder of the New Renaissance Writers Guild and the Pan African Literary Forum. He describes himself in the author bio as a literary heir to both the Western written tradition and the African Oral One.

The artist, on the other hand, is a Patua Scroll Artist (I'm assuming I am pronouncing this incorrectly so if you have the knowledge and energy please correct me - I could not find anything on the interwebs). A tradition from Bengal Idea (where Manu Chitrakar still lives) where artists not only paint narrative scrolls, but then goes around performing them in song for different groups of people. Other scrolls that Chitrakar is known for include one are about 9/11.

Yet another biography of Martin Luther King Jr, I See the Promised Land is not just any biography of MLK. Unique, at least in my experience, in just how far it can get from being normative white/western story telling while still being comprehensible to monolingual ol' me. I also appreciated the choice by Flowers to, rather then to simply frame this as cut and dry nonfiction, he weaves this well known narrative into a more mythic/religious styled text focusing on the FA of MLK. It's an obvious choice in retrospect, but defiantly outside the mould as far as biographies go. And since one of my reading goals is to normalize experiences of people who I'm tempted to see as other, this is a book I would highly recommend to my white settler peers.

That said, there were two points that bothered me somewhat, namely the way in which the efforts of the few female identified people who do show up in the narrative are very downplayed. Namely the representation of Rosa Parks as being too tired to move to the back of the bus. This certainly is not the only place I've seen this be the reasoning behind her actions, but I was under the impression that it had been largely refuted and replaced with the truth that she was a trained activist who was deliberately setting off a legal battle. Perhaps the conflict is framed this way, and very briefly, because of the mythic quality Flowers is going for in his narrative, but it does feel like a step back in the representation of black women in the civil rights movement.

The other fact I wanted to note, mostly to my white peers (as I don't want to dictate to bipoc how they should or should not feel about MLK) is that this narrative felt like it might tempt myself and others to perpetuate the idea that there are good black people and bad black people in the civil rights movement. Namely MLK was a good pacifist and Black Panthers were a violent thorn in his side. While there's no arguing that MLK and the Black Panthers had different ideologies and likely had particular points of conflict (I'm not an expert) but this brief summerization compliments rather then challenges the ways in which the white supremacist culture of the USA has fetishized MLK and an exaggerated representation of his pacifism. Sorry for this tangent, it probably has more to do with me then the book itself, but it seemed like something I really needed to point out.

Visually this was a rich deep-dive into a culture not my own looking back at me, my culture and my history. That's so freaking cool! And while I want to say more, it kept felt like I was coming across as tokenizing or patronizing so I think I'll just shut up now. I hope that some of you pick up this book and that I get the opportunity to read more projects like this. As always, if you have any recommendations for me please share!

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Strange Fruit, Volume II: More Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History' by Joel Christian Gill is a graphic novel telling about the lives of 8 African Americans that are little known or forgotten.

The book is wonderfully illustrated and tells the stories in positive ways. I learned about Jourdon Anderson, a former slave who wrote a letter to his former owner after that owner asked him to come back. Mary Fields worked hard, drank hard, and became a postal service contractor. Cathay Williams was a woman who disguised herself as a man so she could fight in the Civil War. There are others, and the stories are all just as amazing.

The art has a really wonderful quality that suits these stories. The stories told are about people who had undoubtedly rough and sad lives, but the focus is on the persistence to overcome those situations. This is a perfect collection of stories for younger readers. I've read another graphic novel by this same author, and I find his work impressive.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Fulcrum Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to read this inspiring graphic novel.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short stories in graphic novel form about forgotten histories surrounding African Americans. Very interesting and informative. The artwork was okay. The second volume was smaller and thinner. I doubt there will be a three.

[Aerial Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew there were so many untold narratives from OUR history! Great read, highly recommended!

[January Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book, it didn't disappoint. Entertaining and very informative all at the same time. Fun to read too!

[Davina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought there wasn't quite as much creativity with the storytelling as there was in Volume 1, but I still liked it.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and the first book are very well done. A lot of stories you may have never heard of in comic book form.

[Peyton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange Fruit is about the lives of several underappreciated Black historical figures. I would recommend Strange Fruit both to adults and to those reading at the middle-school/high-school level as I think it can be appreciated on multiple levels. It was refreshing to read such a thoughtful and beautifully illustrated graphic novel after having encountered a fair number of mediocre ones in the last year or so. I must find a copy of the first book to read as well and I look forwards to any future volumes in the series.