From the Publisher:
A New York Times-bestselling graphic novel based on the true story of two families—one white and one black—who find common ground as the civil rights struggle heats up in Texas.
This semi-autobiographical tale is set in 1967. A white family from a notoriously racist neighborhood in the suburbs and a black family from its poorest ward cross Houston's color line, overcoming humiliation, degradation, and violence to win the freedom of five black college students unjustly charged with the murder of a policeman.
The Silence of Our Friends follows events through the point of view of young Mark Long, whose father is a reporter covering the story. Semi-fictionalized, this story has its roots solidly in very real events. With art from the brilliant Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole) bringing the tale to heart-wrenching life, The Silence of Our Friends is a new and important entry in the body of civil rights literature.
My thoughts:
This semi-fictionalized memoir speaks to what social studies teachers today are looking for in how we currently teach and view history, as well as how we reach our learners.
Set in the gritty graphic novel style that seems more like old news footage than the stylized gender fluid manga, this novel shows history in its most complex realism. What this graphic novel does so well is showcase how when it comes to race, how we treat each other, how the attitudes of the adults are mirrored in the innocence of children, history, even the ugliness and ignorance is still our history. What this makes me realize is that even if as a reader I am disturbed by children who don't understand why a game like "nigger knockin'' is a bad thing or I am squeamish about the blatant institutional racism present in a newsroom, if I do not accept the ugliness and horror, I cannot learn from history. I also cannot ignore what is still happening today and just accept that our history has changed. We need to be reminded by pieces like this that we have far to go as a society.
As teachers, our job is to not gloss over the ugliness that is history, but to show multiple perspectives in order to let students create their own meaning making, debate with each other, and then give them an avenue for social justice action.
For our most reluctant readers, this type of perspective housed in a graphic novel form is an engaging way to learn through stories and art. Put this in your social studies classroom along with John Lewis' March trilogy. Use this as additional resources to your civil rights curriculum. Do not look away.
An advanced copy provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.
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