Run: Book One is a companion graphic memoir to the award-winning trilogy March, conceived by civil rights icon John Lewis and longtime collaborator Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell and L. Fury. Run continues where March left off to tell an often-overlooked chapter of civil rights history.

Prior to his passing, John Lewis stated, “In sharing my story, it is my hope that a new generation will be inspired by Run to actively participate in the democratic process and help build a more perfect union here in America.” Run picks up after the 1965 march in Selma. Lewis and colleagues are facing arrest and the Ku Klux Klan is planning one of their largest rallies yet. Soon after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the six-day Watts Rebellion breaks out in Los Angeles. Lewis shares his experiences as chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, its tensions with the NAACP and Urban League, controversial stances. Lewis shines a light on the unsung heroes who undertook the sometimes-deadly work of Black voter registration and other grassroots social justice efforts. The connection between these events and current racial tensions and protest movements provides a platform for discussion of the work that still needs to be completed.

The creators of Run will be joined in conversation with Anthony Dixon, Congressman John Lewis' nephew. Jonathan Gayles, Ph.D., will moderate the discussion.

Andrew Aydin is a bestselling and award-winning writer. He was the Digital Director and Policy Advisor and longtime collaborator to the late Georgia congressman John Lewis as well as the creator and co-author of  March. He splits his time between Washington, D.C., and Hendersonville, NC.

Nate Powell is a New York Times bestselling, award-winning graphic novelist; his work includes the March trilogy, Rick Riordan’s The Lost Hero, and Save It for Later. Powell is the first and only cartoonist ever to win the National Book Award. Powell lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

L. Fury is a lifelong resident of Houston, Texas with a BFA in animation from Sam Houston State University. She dove into comics full time in 2015 with the humor webcomic Bastard Comics before shifting her sights to long-form comics, illustrating the unreleased Double Barrel Shogun. Run  is Fury’s first graphic book.

Anthony Dixon has been a firefighter with the Los Angeles County Fire Department for over 30 years. He is Congressman John Lewis’ nephew.

Jonathan Gayles, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of the Department of African-American Studies at Georgia State University.

Ages 12 to adult

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