March by Michael Berry

March follows the real-life story of U.S. Representative John Lewis from his early years on his family's chicken farm, through the civil rights movement. A good portion of the graphic novel focuses on the sit-ins at Nashville department-store lunch counters in 1960 and how they led to a confrontation on the steps of city hall. One of the most powerful aspects of March, for me was how it looked at how a child responded and reacted to things like racism, segregation, and the civil rights movement.  One of the most striking moments was when traveling to the North for the first time, Lewis notices that his Uncle has planned their route meticulously. They only stop in places they know are safe and are especially cautious because at the time, being black in the south was dangerous. The shocking thing was not jus that Lewis noticed this, but that he understood why it was happening without it being explained to him. At such a young age, because of such rampant bigotry and violence, a young boy had to develop keen survival instincts just to take a road trip with his uncle. I think the choice to start the story when Lewis is a young child and follow him through the civil rights movement is a successful choice that not only humanizes the protagonist but gives a unique look at historical events that most Americans have some knowledge of, but they don't fully understand the implications. The american public school system varies from county to county, state to state, but generally speaking it is lacking to say the least. In a time where the president of the United States resorts to hatred-mongering and devices of discrimination, I think a work like March is supremely important. The root of all evil is a lack of education and since a quality education isn't always provided (making private education you have to purchase the only quality education), alternative sources of information need to exist in the common American diaspora. Being a comic book about history but uses common narrative devices, March is set up to be an easily digestible source of education for the common population.