Anne Gerhart
September 5, 2020
Comic Books and Social Activism
“March: Book One”, written by late congressman and respected leader in the civil rights movement John Lewis with collaboration from cowriter Andrew Aydin and artist Nate Powell, provides a harrowing look into the realities of creating a movement in a graphic novel form that is accessible to many readers. It not only provides an intimate glance into Lewis’s life, but also teaches readers about the roots of the doctrine of nonviolent direct action, how this ideology was spread, and how this method was used in order to make real change in a corrupt, unjust, and racist system.
To give more context for our readings this week, I thought it would be helpful to provide additional background on how the medium of comic books and graphic novels have been used to share ideas about cultural, social, and political issues. With the advent of social media, many current movements rely on the quick, decentralized spread of information made possible with websites like Twitter. it is interesting to learn how the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement took advantage of sermons at church, radio broadcasts, pamphlets, and even graphic novels and comic books to spread their information and rally young people to take part in protests and daily acts of activism. The graphic style of “March: Book One” mirrors “Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story,” a sixteen-page comic book published in 1957 distributed for 10 cents, which inspired many. Choosing this medium to tell the story of Martin Luther King Jr.s’ life and involvement in civil rights was a great way to bring youth into the movement, and Lewis even writes on page 87 that the first four freshman who took part in lunch counter sit-ins in 1960 were inspired to do so because of that comic. They even brought the comic book with them to the counter (Klein).
Comic books at this time were incredibly popular with young people; many cite that “The Golden Age of Comic Books” was between 1938 and 1956 (Superworld Comics). Comics were popularized by characters like Superman and often featured current events, such as superheroes defeating the Axis Powers. “The Silver Age of Comic Books” was between 1956 and 1970 and by this point comics were an established art form (Superworld Comics). More diverse genres were beginning to be represented in comics with commercial success, however comics were not universally appreciated. A Senate committee held hearings on the alleged link between comics and juvenile delinquency on television in 1954, stirring conversations about this new potentially deviant art form (Klein). It was controversial to tell King’s story in this medium, but despite this controversy comics remained well-loved by young people, and the choice to tell this story in a comic was a smart move to get young people involved. Lewis choosing to write his story in the same form serves both as a nod of respect to civil rights comics that came before and as a way to engage young people in social issues by introducing them to activism against injustice in comic form.
Works Cited
Klein, Christopher. “The MLK Graphic Novel That Inspired John Lewis and Generations of Civil Rights Activists.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 7 Feb. 2020, www.history.com/news/civil-rights-graphic-novel-mlk-john-lewis.
Lewis, John, et al. March: Book One. Top Shelf Productions, 2013.
“What Defines the Golden Age from the Silver Age of Comic Books?” Superworld Comics, 5 Nov. 2019, www.superworldcomics.com/blog/comic-books/what-defines-the-golden-age-from-the-silver-age-of-comic-books/.
I just wanted to add that I think this point of view is incredibly important and interesting. I love the fact that you wrote about how comic books have been used in the past to bring the youth into the moment and it reminds me of how young people today are using Tiktok to get involved in a social justice movement. Back then, comic books were like social media and knowing more about that is important especially when you read March by John Lewis. John Lewis very obviously wants young people to get involved in the movement, hence his use of a graphic novel rather than a plain autobiography, and I think this was a wonderful way to do it. Loved your article!
Thank you Anna for this insight into the history of comics as a medium for sharing information and rallying people behind causes! I think many people are unaware of how media like comics have been used for political causes as you mentioned. This thought process makes me think about modern times and what forms of media are/could be used for similar intentions. Comics aren’t as popular, but social media is essentially a norm for most young Americans. It’s interesting to see how accounts pump out politically charged memes on both sides of the aisle and how it’s surprisingly effective. However, these memes are typically short, blanket statements, and I worry they serve more to divide people than to bring us together on common concerns.
Hi Anne thank you for giving some insight on the readings and information on the readings. I didn’t really think about comic books as a way of connecting with the problems in the world and a way to express it. I always looked at comic books as a not serious way and just a way for kids to explore their imagination. After the reading it really is a good way of expressing to the millennial’s of this world what is going on. It lets the people read what is going on without ambushing them into so many information. Comics are usually short and get to the point so it would be a great way of expressing to the this generation. It made me take a different view of comics because now I know they use it in political ways as well, which is just another way like listening to the radio, reading the news, and using the web to get update information about the problems in the world. Comics are not as popular as the other internet web surfaces available, but it’s good to know that is an option.
Anna,
This was absolutely so interesting to read about. After reading “March” I was also really intrigued when I found out that some of Martin Luther King’s and the Civil Rights Movement’s story was told and spread through a comic book. I did question why John Lewis chose to write his own story through a comic book so thank you for providing information about that as well.
Hi Anne! Thank you for providing us the backgrounds of Comics in last few decades. I love comics especially those are fun and exciting. But I didn’t know there were many comics that have great historical Influence and political value. Illustration of Lewis story in the form of comic is a good way to express his attitude to the public and the young generations.
Hey Anne,
I thought your blog post this week was incredibly interesting. From an outside point of view, I can’t say I ever expected comic books to have any sort of relevance when discussing racial issues. When you think about it though, if there was ever a way to spread ideas to the youth of our country, targeting that audience through comic books, during a time when comic books were mainstream media is a brilliant idea.