First published in 2013, March: Book One is a magnificent graphic novel written by John Lewis in collaboration with Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell. It is the first installment of the March Trilogy. Depicting the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, the book has been well-received by critics and readers. It also won several prestigious awards since its publication.
Review of March: Book One Graphic Novel (from goodreads.com)
March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis’ lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis’ personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement.
Book One spans John Lewis’ youth in rural Alabama, his life-changing meeting with Martin Luther King, Jr., the birth of the Nashville Student Movement, and their battle to tear down segregation through nonviolent lunch counter sit-ins, building to a stunning climax on the steps of City Hall.
Many years ago, John Lewis and other student activists drew inspiration from the 1950’s comic book “Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story.” Now, his own comics bring those days to life for a new audience, testifying to a movement whose echoes will be heard for generations.