March discussion

I found the book “March: Book One” by John Lewis to be inspiring, gripping, and insightful. I truly enjoyed this book and was so gripped by it that I finished it all in one sitting. As the reader, you feel immersed into the story and gain insight into what it was really like to be a part of the Civil Rights Movement. As I mentioned, “March” was written by John Lewis, who is one of the longest remaining members of the American Civil Rights Movement. The book gives you insight into his history, childhood, and character development. He was a leader in the Nashville Student Movement. It was really inspiring to learn the details of the development of sit-ins as they went from a group of four people to hundreds. Even with severe threats of violence, they didn’t back down and continued the sit-ins. Some both Black and White protesters were beaten and many were arrested. There were so many protesters, they soon filled the jails and their bail was decreased from $100 to $5, yet they still did not pay and were all released. I found the implementation of Biblical principles and non-violent protests to be very inspiring. The part of the book that stuck out to me the most was when the protesters were training for the sit-ins. They practiced playing roles of Black and White people to dehumanize each other and prepare for protests, to practice non-violence in the face of persecution and their spirits being broken. “...Sometimes it was one of your friends calling you names, knocking you down, spitting on you…For some it was too much but we needed to see how each of us would react under stress”. Even though I had learned about the Civil Rights Movement many times in school, I feel like this book really brought it to life through the telling of firsthand experience, details, and art. I would recommend it for anyone seeking to find a deeper understanding of the American Civil Rights movement and what it was like for the participants.