Full Circle

Dear Mr. Lewis,

So much has happened in the lest section of your book MARCH: Book Three. Bloody Sunday where you were injured, Jimmie Lee Jackson was murdered by police, Malcom X was assassinated, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, and you went separate ways from the SNCC due to differing opinions in what the movement should move toward next. The illustrations helped put the intensity of the violence into perspective, and the message it conveyed was so powerful it made me feel the entirety of the Civil Rights Movement more than I ever thought possible. The final events in the book were the final drop of hope that black people were clinging on too. Between the murders of Malcom X and Jimmie Lee Jackson, the march from Selma to Montgomery was a last resort to show the endurance for pain and disappointment, to show no matter how many attempts are made to silence their voices, they will always find a way to be heard.

Barack Obama and John Lewis

The strongest part of this book was the mention of former president Barack Obama. For you to meet him it shows the full circle of events. From the discrimination that you faced, the brutal attacks and heartbreaking setbacks all to be able to have your voices heard, to seeing all of your hard work pay off. Having a black president puts into perspective how far we have come as a country. Although as a whole we still face discrimination we have made some steps int he right direction, and have gotten to a place where we can hear each other, listen to the opinions of others, and mostly be able to acknowledge that we have a right to those opinions. Thank you for this book, and for shedding your own light on the events of the Civil Rights Movement.

Best Wishes,

Maddy Suarez

#OnePurpose #MovingForward

Honor

Dear Mr. Lewis,

Fannie Hamers story was heartbreaking. Her testimony was incredibly moving and the fact that she didn’t falter during all the interruptions shows how determined and motivated she is to shed light on the hardships faced being black in this country. The 1964 Democratic Convention was when black people would finally have a chance to be heard, only to be denied entrance at the door. I don’t understand how so much hate can come from a difference of skin color, and it wasn’t even that long ago. People like you and Martin Luther King are the reason people today still have the willpower to fight for what is right. You are why we have not given up on fighting for equality. I thank you for writing about such hard topics. These are things we need to know more about in today’s society, and these are the events we can’t forget about. To enact change we need to acknowledge that these horrific acts truly did occur as to not repeat history. As I read deeper and deeper into your story I lose more and more hope for America. Will we ever reach true equality? I hope we do, for our sake but also yours, to honor all the work everyone put in before me.

#BlackRightsAreHumanRights #WeWantPeace

Best wishes,

Maddy Suarez

 

Evolution or Repetition?

Dear Mr. Lewis, 

As I continue on deeper into your book MARCH, I am more and more disappointed in people as a whole. A couple steps forward yet a million steps back. Your book reflected on the John F. Kennedy was assassination, the Democratic Convention, and the Civil Rights Act being written into law. Segregation was outlawed yet we were still on the outside. Segregation disguised itself in the form of Literacy Tests, the unfair assessment of black people with questions meant to trip up event the smartest of white men. We were given the right to use public facilities, but denied the right to vote. 

The determination and will power exhibited by Lewis and other protesters as they stood outside in the blazing sun for hours to protest these voting restrictions is admirable. They would not give up and although only a small amount of people were able to get through, it was still a victory. The little victories are what pushed them to keep going and fight for their rights. Mr. Lewis you continue to impress and shock me with your vivid recollections of these all too real events. 

The way to completely demolish racism is through education. Continue to inform the next generations of the horrors our ancestors had to endure, and make sure they do not happen again. I am eager to read more about the challenges you over came.

Best Wishes,

Maddy Suarez

#PushOn #WeWillRise #CreateAVoice

 

End The War

Mr. John Lewis,

While reading the first section of your book MARCH, I felt my body fill with pure rage at the inhuman acts people are capable of. The illustrations in your book depicted violence and hatred without having to say a single thing. The bombing of church left innocent people murdered and the remaining nervous and worried that they were going to be next. This act of hatred inspired some to fight back, others to flee, and left me wondering how I would react. It is impossible to know for certain considering we are many years past this tragic event, however I could not help compare the deaths of the innocent black children in your book to the deaths of innocent black children we see in the news today. It opened my eyes allowing me to see that racism then and racism now is not much different. The civil rights movement shed light onto the horrid acts that black people had to endure, yet here we are with nothing changed. 

I would always say I can not imagine living in a world where such acts of violence brought on by a simple biological difference could occur, yet we do live in that time. That time is now. Many people would argue that the problem of racism has gotten better, that it is nothing compared to the bombing of the church in your book. I disagree. Racism still exists in 2019, though it has changed the way it presents itself. I admire your optimism, believing that we as people will eventually live in a world without racism and that we are capable of true equality and improvement. The time for change is now and we have a long way to go. We need more people of power speaking on the violence towards minorities.

Sincerely,

Maddy Suarez

#EndTheWar #ChangeIsNow #WeAreEqual