by John Lewis
First published 2017
John Lewis opens his graphic memoir by looking back on the painful reality behind America's civil rights victories. Most people today assume these achievements came naturally from democratic progress. Lewis reveals the true cost: young men and women endured terrible violence during years of daily discipline and nonviolent training. They maintained unshakable determination toward their goal of justice. Lewis himself stood at the center of this movement. He transforms his firsthand experience into vivid visual storytelling, showing readers the inner workings of America's long struggle for equality. This acclaimed graphic novel format brings immediate power to his account. Lewis makes clear that this march toward justice remains unfinished today.
Genres: civil-war, 20th-century, african-american, biography-memoir, 21st-century, comics, activism, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: first-hand-account, found-family
Setting: America
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
144 pages · Paperback · Mondadori
Content warnings: violence