Powerful & poignant look at Black American history
Apr 13, 2009
Still I Rise by Roland Laird & Taneshia Nash Laird and illustrated by Elihu "Adofo" Bey is a powerful graphic novel tracing African-American history in the United States. I was absolutely amazed at the amount of information that the writers were able to pack into this volume without ever making it feel like a textbook. The story is narrated by a elderly black couple. She is more cynical and angry; he's more laidback in his narration, but together they tell the story of Black Americans from the early 17th century through Barack Obama's election as President. The story is well balanced; it doesn't demonize all whites, but treats them as individuals, and doesn't gloss over the controversies faced by black leaders. Bey's illustrations are clean and simple but convey a great range of emotion, several brought tears to my eyes in their portrayal of the devastation wrought by slavery. I learned so much about black heroes through our history from Crispus Attucks at the Boston Massacre to Dorie Miller at Pearl Harbor, they have been at the forefront of so many pivotal points in history without ever receiving the fame so many others have. This book should be on the shelf of every high school library and required reading for students.It teaches without preaching, and the message is one that needs to be heard.
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