History Comics: Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes

I have to admit I went into reading this book, Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes, with a bit of trepidation, because I know that Parks's story is often-told and also incorrectly, as if she was just some tired woman who happened into the situation, which could not be further from the truth. However, there was so much in this book that I either did not know or appreciate, and it was truly eye-opening. If I have a quibble with it, it would be that the title should be reversed, because its narrator and main focal point is Claudette Colvin, who just died this year and should be known by many more people. She was arrested nine months before Rosa Parks was, also for not giving up her seat to a white person in Montgomery, Alabama. The difference was that Colvin made for a poorer test case for litigation, as she was younger, unmarried, and pregnant at the time of the proceedings. It was not until later that Parks became the subject of that test case to argue against and finally end segregation (legally, at least). 

What this book does an excellent job of is telling things like it was, not sugar-coating language, events, or how some people ended up getting more credit than others for the civil rights work. It shows the long, laborious process it took to get justice, from the arrest to trial and later appeals. It shows how these events affected both women and their families, highlighting how they lost friends and jobs and also feared for their lives because of the stands they took. This book also situates these events with other contemporary happenings, like the murder of Emmett Till, to give a clear context of the times. It makes these people real, not just grand figures from history to be studied.

Reading this book the same day that I learned the Reverend Jesse Jackson died, and revisiting the 1984 skit "The Question is Moot" from Saturday Night Live, it strikes me that even after decades we are still dealing with the same issues of disparity, violent authorities, hateful legislation, and misinformation. It's shameful that some of us have hoodwinked by illusions of progress, when the same old things just happen under different guises. Having access to stories like these is vital for people to realize that these struggles are ongoing, difficult, and necessary.

Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin was written by Tracey Baptiste and drawn by Shauna J. Grant. Baptiste has many books to her credit, including Kid X and Super Goat Girl. Grant has created her own series of Mimi graphic novels as well as a couple of entries in the Baby-Sitter Little Sister series.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews called it "a valuable addition to the growing swath of graphic novels drawing attention to civil rights history." Johanna Draper Carlson wrote, "The narrator and the open, friendly art style make History Comics: Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin an enlightening read with something new to say."

Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information about it here. This book is suggested for readers age 8 and up, and it features some hateful language and references to sexual violence.