March: Book 3

We all know about the Civil Rights Movement and the violence that flared up during this time against blacks, however I doubt you will ever see it as violently and beautifully done as the graphic novel March did.

Don’t let this final book of the March trilogy fool you. A reader can easily jump right into this graphic novel without reading the last two, but I highly recommend you check the last two out anyways. March: Book Three is a heart wrenching biography of John Lewis, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, and all the turmoil he faced in regards to discrimination. It is also a historical text that highlights the bombing of the Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama which killed four your African American girls, the Freedom Summer of 1964, the presidential election of 1964, and much more.

I was pretty much dumbstruck as I read through March. It’s been quite some time since I read or watching anything regarding the Civil Rights Movement and a lot of the scenes were difficult to get through. It’s not because the pages were filled with violence images, instead it was because the pages were filled with emotion and the character’s faces showed this.

I felt that this was one of the best ways to portray the civil rights struggle because it’s in a form that many young people enjoy. It helps to educate young adults on this important era in our countries history, especially since it stayed true to the historical events. In an educational setting there are plenty of themes to discuss like racism, violence, and perseverance. Overall, I think this should be included in any course that discusses the history of the Civil Rights Movement.

Pros:

-Accurate portrayal of the late 1950s and 1960s.

-Doesn’t just focus on the 1960s, but comes back to our modern time with appearances from former President Obama.

-A new way to learn about this era.

Cons:

-Violent images that may turn off some readers.

-Racist slurs that some people may find offensive.

Links:

Buy the graphic novel new or used here:

https://www.amazon.com/March-Book-Three-John-Lewis/dp/1603094024/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493563554&sr=8-1&keywords=march+book+3

Want to learn more about John Lewis? Read his biography here:

http://www.biography.com/people/john-lewis-21305903

Want to know more about the Civil Rights Movement? Check it out below:

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement

Watch a video on the bombing of the Baptist church here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8r_wUBixlw