March: Book One by John Lewis

I loved reading this piece. I went to a very small, conservative homeschool Co-op in high school, and I always felt like they glossed over the Civil Rights movement. When it was mentioned, I never really got a grasp for what was going on behind the scenes and there were never any comparisons drawn between then and the modern BLM movement or other social justice protests. John Lewis's story told in the form of a graphic novel made history seem all the more real to me, and I was able to better appreciate what he had done for the movement. Personal notes like how he would preach to the chickens and protect them gave insight to the core of his character that flourished when he was in a leadership position. The quiet fear Lewis and his father felt when traveling south was beautifully illustrated and allowed for me, as a nonblack person, to see through their eyes.

I think this should be required reading in schools for those less inclined to read large amounts of text and are better visual-learners, as it easily engages the reader and pinpoints an important era in history. When we understand the past, we can recognize the warning signs happening in the present and equip ourselves to deal with the situation, as John Lewis did.