March

Rest in Power. 2020 - my early review from colona

I first learned about John Lewis on TV and I was browsing goodreads and saw his familiar name and sure enough it was him. What an amazing historical figure, fought for civil rights, was arrested several times, and became a congressman along with other achievements. I really hope these books find there way into history classes. His memoir was interesting the ink illustrations of black and white I found like reading a memory, I was totally engrossed reading his history, and l felt Inspired that I can fight and make a difference. In times like these especially you have to be kind to those around you, lend a helping hand (which can start in your community), and recognize your privilege. I like to think I make a difference by ordering and making sure I read diverse fiction. It's a small step but I think making sure there is representation for many people is important. After reading all of them it can also be a little depressing reading how many people died and how harshly people were treated. Continue the fight today, it is important and if you see racial or any injustice call it out and demand change. I can not really put into words how grateful and the respect I have for John Lewis. I highly recommend this powerful memoir with charming and amazing ink illustrations.

Summary: John Lewis tells the story of his experience working in the civil rights movement to bring about racial equality in the U.S.

This is a truly captivating read that really brings history alive.

Read this because we're teaching it this spring and it's excellent!

Was putting it off for quite some time now. Its about America's history and civil right's movement.
The artwork is primitive, but it's enough to get the message across. Will be saving the next two books in the trilogy to a particularly boring day.

Lives up to the hype. Structured really well and the artwork is perfect. Bring on volume 2!

March by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell is one of the greatest graphic novels I've ever read. March is a trilogy of three volumes that tell the story of John Lewis and his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The book is moving, horrifying, inspiring, educational, and really profoundly important. I, of course, learned about the Civil Rights Movement in school, but in this book I learned so much about both history and Lewis I had either never known or had forgotten. I found this comic to not only be an amazing history lesson, but to sadly resonate with current events today. The insight this book provides about racial attitudes and actions in America, as well as the dynamics within the Movement itself, really contextualizes and illuminates the protests and conversations that have occurred in years since. It is painful and tragic to reflect on the fact that the hate and systemic racism of the 60s (and before) still haunts us today, and to see it so plainly and undeniably illustrated in this book just takes one's breath away. I urge everyone to read March! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As my knowledge of American history is relatively very new, I only got to know about Rep. John Lewis and his contribution to the Civil Rights movement a few years ago when I was living in Atlanta; around the same time the third part of this graphic novel won the National Book Award. I've wanted to read this series since then but it never worked out, and it's such a shame on my part that it took this great leader's demise to make me pick it up. But even if it's late, I still think it's the correct time because of all the Black Lives Matter protests that are taking place again across the country, and I think it's never not the right time to remember our history and learn more about the people who are the reason for us having so many of our rights today.

I thought the story was really endearing because it's told as Rep. Lewis getting ready to attend President Obama's inauguration, but stopping to answer some questions for a couple of little Black boys visiting his office. And learning about an innocent boy who loved taking care of the chickens on the form, his profound desire to become a preacher which even led to sermonizing to the chickens, and ultimately realizing that he can do so much more in the fight for civil rights while studying at a seminary - it's a very very inspirational narrative. I had only heard about the lunch counter sit-ins but reading/seeing it and understanding how it was all being done by masses of students who felt called to fight for their rights is really admirable, and reminds us again why we see so many young people on the streets these days - they are always on the forefront when fighting for radical changes.

The art style is kept black and white, probably to evoke the aesthetic of the 50s and it's simple but very evocative and powerful. The violence depicted is also kept very sanitized, probably because this book is catering towards a much younger audience but I'm sure it might not be fully avoidable in the next parts.

On the whole, I think this book/series is a wonderful resource for young Americans to know more about their Civil Rights history and one of its most powerful leaders, especially the events which might always be taught in detail in school. I found it to be very powerful, emotional and inspirational, and I can't wait to get to part two. And let's all remember this great leader who suffered so much for the lives we enjoy today, and take up the mantle upon our shoulders to continue to cause “good trouble”, as he called it.

I needed to read this now. Right now, July 2020, while Nazi thugs kidnap and beat civilians in Portland and soon other cities, with war looming and despair so close at hand. I needed to read it because I'm furious, and these books stoked that anger, fueled it so hard I was gritting my teeth... but they did more than that: they taught me. Re-taught, perhaps, because it's something I already knew and know but just need reminding sometimes: nonviolence can work. Has worked. I feel humbled by Lewis and his cohort: what incredible, lovely people. What a beautifully narrated and illustrated story.

Excellent and inspiring story

Already got book 2 requested from the library! I knew some of this history, but love getting to see it from the perspective of someone who was there. This installment is mostly about Lewis' younger years, from childhood up through the lunch-counter protests when he was a young adult. It's great.

This is a striking, effective graphic novel about a man whose actions have had an enormous positive impact on American history.

Lewis talks about being motivated by faith, specifically the principle of social gospel. He also touches on generational tensions between Black organizers—for example, how SNCC formed largely as a result of disillusionment with the NAACP.

Lewis describes training for sit-ins through role play. The activists anticipated and prepared for verbal abuse, physical violence, and being arrested. There's a tendency to portray activism as individual and spontaneous, so it was interesting to have an activist detail the months of coordination needed to pull off massive sit-ins and boycotts and marches.

I'm glad I got the other two from the library already, because I'm eager to continue the series.

Fantastic read on the life and work of John Lewis.

For the Read Harder Challenge: “A comic written or illustrated by a person of color.” This first volume of a trilogy is set in 2009, with Lewis telling his story before heading to Obama's inauguration.

The truth is painful, but we need to read it. This is what I thought after I finished reading this book. March is not meant to be a fun, entertaining book, but rather a biography of Congressman John Lewis' life as he helped with the Civil Right's Movement. Yet, as far as biographies go this one is not boring. The flow is engaging and well done, while the story seems like a thriller which keeps the audience on their toes. There are times a reader may forget they are reading a nonfiction book, so the doses of reality may be shocking. 

The artwork is amazing. While the colors range between black and white, the expressions, authenticity in the moment, and amazing shading, do make me forget that the graphic novel is not done in full color. 

The 3 book series is an excellent history of the heros of Civil rights movement leading up to the March from Selma to Montgomery.

Instructive, interesting, and inspiring. I am most certainly going to read the next two in the trilogy. Reading about this great American with the memory of Trump's ignorant insult of him still in mind made it all the better.

It's hard to read a book where those you consider Your People act in disappointing ways. It makes you cry. It makes you scream. It inspires you to follow the lead of the Others. It makes you want to buy copies of the book and give books out to all of Your People, even your Uncle Gene, at Thanksgiving, and then lead a discussion about the story at Christmas.

Maybe because of everything going on right now, but probably because this is a well thought out account of Congressman John Lewis's beginnings as a Civil Rights Activist, I felt so emotional as I read through this. It was such a HUGE moment in history and I wonder how many people really know. Do they even teach this in school. Is it now so long ago that it is deemed less important? I will be giving this to my 10 year-old to read and I will be buying all three volumes as well!

Sadly I knew very little about John Lewis before reading this graphic memoir. Reading his story hurt. Its hard to see the ugliness of racism, of hate in action. Its hard to read commentary from the 50s and 60s being repeated in the news in 2016.

I wish this was fiction. I wish all racism was dead in our country. I wish we were cured of this sin disease that brings anger and hatred towards others we don't understand and are afraid of because we just don't know them.

I want to apologize to all peoples who have been hurt by prejudice and racism in our country. I am part of the majority race and it is easy to take this issue for granted. I want to better understand the struggle others have had to overcome prejudice and hatred — and continue to struggle with. I want to shine the light of God's love in this dark world to show that we are all His children, in all our colors and diversity. Let us rise above our biases and see each other as brothers and sisters, even when we disagree or don't understand another's struggle. Let us become a sneak preview of God's coming kingdom where we will live in love and harmony for eternity.

Short review: I immediately ordered the trilogy in paper so that I could read it in that method and then give it away.

I really like Nate Powell's art. And I think the framing of John Lewis' life and the broader civil rights movement against Obama's inauguration is brilliant. This is a really good example of how history can come alive via the graphic novel format in a way that straight text could not. I haven't read books two and three yet, but book one was very good and I am looking forward to reading them.

I did read Nate Powell's earlier The Silence of Our Friends before I moved on to the rest of the March series. I will review that separately, but it is worth picking up as well.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/march/

This was just so well done. I think it's hard to truly explain to young people the importance of what ordinary people have done in the name of freedom and justice. If there were more books like this, that would become easier. This story is so simply told, yet so powerful in it's impact. I'm not sure I've read anything before that allowed me in to the events of the civil rights movement with such immediacy. Because the illustrations were right there, in actual black and white, this story became more than just a story - it became a life, of someone who was just a regular kid who dreamed of something better. Highest recommendation.

Uhh I feel like I'm the last person to read this. It's good. Great art, compelling use of graphic novel format to quickly illustrate stories, inspirational civil rights story.