U.S. Rep. John Lewis remembers the time as a teen when he went to the small library in Troy, Ala., and was refused a library card because he was black.
He may have been denied access to books that time, but on Wednesday, the civil rights veteran and Freedom Rider received one of the nation's most prestigious literary honors — the National Book Award for young people's literature — for "March: Book Three."
The graphic novel, written with Atlanta native Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, tells the story of the historic march on Selma and the civil rights movement. It's the third installment of a series.
“It’s unreal. It’s unbelievable,” Lewis said in a telephone interview Thursday. He jumped, “then I started crying because it was so moving.”
Lisa Lucas, the first black woman to head the National Book Foundation, said judges read 1,464 books to come up with the list of finalists, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Colson Whitehead won the award for fiction for "The Underground Railroad," and Ibram X. Kendi received the nonfiction award for "Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America."
Lewis said he would always cherish the award because of a longtime love of reading.
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A wonderful teacher strongly encouraged him to read. “Read my children, read,” he recalled her saying. “And I tried to read everything.”
His late wife, Lillian, was a librarian.
“Even today people came up to me, saying they are buying the book for their children and grandchildren and for Christmas,” he said. “It’s important for this generation of young people to understand what the civil rights movement was all about.”
Many people praised the selection of “March” for its treatment of an important topic but also because it recognizes the genre of graphic novels.
“Congratulations to the ‘March’ team,” said Dawud Anyabwile, the DeKalb County-based co-creator and illustrator of the Brotherman “Revelation Graphic Novel I.” “That is a great recognition for a book of that kind. My hope would be that this award would bring more attention to graphic novels.”
Although he’s written numerous books, including his autobiography, “Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement,” Lewis found a graphic novel intriguing, when approached by Aydin.
He recalled reading “Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story,” a 16-page comic book that sold for 10 cents. It told the story of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
“That little comic book became our guide,” said Lewis.
Aydin said Lewis had been his congressman since he was 3 years old.
He was overwhelmed “to get to be a part of this and to have him (Lewis) embrace this idea that I had eight-plus years ago and having it go all the way to be a National Book Award winner.”
He is still pinching himself.
“I cried several times last night,” said Aydin, digital director and policy adviser on Lewis’ staff. “I cried for all the people whose stories we got to shine a light on for new generations. I cried for all the comic creators whose shoulders we stood on and I cried for my mom, who was a single parent. I’m grateful for all the things she went through to make sure I went to school and had all the opportunities that she never did.”
Will there be a fourth installment?
Perhaps.
“It may come in another form, but it’s possible,” Lewis said. “We’re thinking about it.”
As for that library card, in the late 1990s, Lewis, then a congressman, went back to that very same library to sign copies of one of his books. Not only was the place packed, but it was a crowd of blacks and whites.
The library gave him the card denied him so long ago.
“It all hit me last night and I feel very good that so many people are reading this book.”
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