Friends,
Last night on MSNBC, Rachel Maddow interviewed Congressman John Lewis, his aide and co-author Andrew Aydin, and artist/cartoonist Nate Powell. She introduces the ten-minute segment with these words: This is a comic book that was originally published in 1958. It cost ten cents back then. It was published by a group called the Fellowship of Reconciliation. They are still around today.
Yes, we are! (And we are still selling this timeless resource.)
Rachel Maddow continues:
But in terms of our history as a country, what was really, really, really important about this book is that it did not just explain or re-tell that story of that [Montgomery bus boycott] campaign. This comic book was also, essentially, a step-by-step guidebook for how to replicate it. How to use what it called "the Montgomery method," with pages of practical advice of how to choose your battles, how to educate yourself, how to practice facing even violent opposition without ever hitting back. How to see the person attacking you as a human, and how to try to inspire that person to see you the same way, even in middle of confrontation. It's profound stuff. This was a comic book that inspired and helped to organize a revolution.
 Later in the interview, Ms. Maddow asks Congressman Lewis about the efficacy and modern currency of nonviolent methods, especially civil disobedience and direct action. Rep. Lewis responds to her this way:
I think the [nonviolent, civil disobedience] methods that we used during the ‘60s, and Dr. King and others used during the ‘50s, are still very effective, because we can present our bodies. We can say, “Here we are!” You can be young, you can be older, or much older. It doesn’t matter. You can be low income, or middle income, or you can be wealthy. But you have a body. And you can bear witness to the truth. You can find a way to get in the way. We all can practice the way of peace, the way of love, the way of nonviolence.
Rep. Lewis's story of courage and his passion for faith-centered nonviolent social change is told in detail in the best-selling graphic memoir, March: Book One. And today we are elated to announce that Top Shelf Comics is offering a "digital bundle" of March: Book One with the brand new, exclusive digital version of Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story! As a special offer, you can get both for just $9.99.
And don't miss out on the print edition of the comic book, which is flying off our shelves.
Stay tuned for our imminent release of Arabic-language and Farsi-language print versions of the comic book!
And kudos to FOR member Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell, since March: Book One is currently #12 on Amazon.com!
Peace,
Ethan, Kristin, and the team at FOR |
