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March: Book One (March, #1)

by John Lewis

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read in November 2016

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Maddy Bernau said: " Lewis, John. Aydin, Andrew. Powell, Nate. March Book One. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions, 2013. Print.
Reviewed by Maddy Bernau.

March delivers an entertaining perspective on John Lewis’ struggle for civil and human rights. This graphic novel wa Lewis, John. Aydin, Andrew. Powell, Nate. March Book One. Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions, 2013. Print.
Reviewed by Maddy Bernau.

March delivers an entertaining perspective on John Lewis’ struggle for civil and human rights. This graphic novel was written by John Lewis, co-authored by Andrew Aydin, and drawn by Nate Powell. The author, Lewis, is an American icon and was a key figure in the civil rights movement. Nate Powell helps to give Lewis’ story an emotional power by drawing vivid pictures throughout the novel. The trilogy of March was written out of inspiration after Lewis read the 1958 comic book Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story. Book One stretches to about 128 pages long and covers John Lewis’ childhood in rural Alabama, his meeting with Martin Luther King Jr., and the nonviolent sit-ins that he participated in to help fight for civil rights.
The author, John Lewis, is often called “one of the most courageous persons the Civil Rights Movement ever produced”. Lewis earned a bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy from Fisk University, and he is also a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary. Throughout Lewis’ lifetime, he was awarded more than 50 honorary degrees from universities and colleges around the United States, such as Howard University, Duke University, Princeton University, Morehouse College, and Harvard University to name a few. Lewis has also been given numerous awards from national and international institutions, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Non-violent Peace Prize, the Medal of Freedom, the National Education Association Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award, and many more honorable awards. Lastly, his trilogy March has won numerous awards, and Lewis has been interviews for many documentaries, journals, and news broadcasts.
The graphic novel opens with a prologue set on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Montgomery, Alabama where nonviolent protestors are beaten and gassed by troops. It then rushes forward to Barack Obama’s inauguration back in 2008. The rest of the novel consists of John Lewis talking about his struggles and early life to two young black kids, in hopes of encouraging them to never settle for less than they deserve. The novel includes a lot of flash backs from Lewis’ earlier life, including scenes from his meeting with Martin Luther King Jr., the sit-ins with the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), and more.
This novel was extremely effective in holding my attention throughout the story, especially with the help of Powell’s vivid artwork. There was never a single page where I wanted to stop reading or considered to put the book down. I found that I related to the nonviolent protests in the nook the most, instead of a single character or the whole plot. Using, nonviolent protests to help fight for what you want makes a more powerful statement that just normal violence. This book was worth the read, and helps refresh the distant memories of the civil rights movement. ...more "

Dec 08, 2016 12:01PM · see review