Rep. John Lewis Set to Write Civil Rights Graphic Novel

Feb 08, 2011

Rep. John Lewis has done plenty in his life to make history. While still a college student back in the ’60s, he organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville, TN. He risked his life on Freedom Rides through the South. And he became one of the leaders of the Civil Rights movement decades before running for public office. And now, he’s publishing a graphic novel to mark his experiences.

Roll Call reports:

The Georgia Democrat has signed a publishing agreement to author a graphic novel, titled "March," which will tell the story of the Congressman’s involvement in the civil rights movement and other human rights efforts.

Lewis will be the first sitting Member of Congress to author a graphic novel, according to his publishers, Georgia-based Top Shelf Productions.

"This is something I really wanted to do some years ago, and there is no better time to do it than now," the Congressman says. "It is not just a story of struggle; it is a story of involvement."

The project will be published in 2012. Lewis is also slated to receive the Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — from President Obama later this month.