March, Book 3

The second volume of March closed on John Lewis' speech at the March of Washington, and then included the original text of the speech, which was edited moments before he gave it. In that speech he points out that the Civil Rights Act, while a step forward, did not do enough. Specifically, it did not guarantee African-Americans the right to vote, thus allowing individual states to continue to deny them full citizenship. The third volume focuses on the fight to get the Voting Rights Act passed, ultimately ending back where the first book started, with the inauguration of President Obama.

Once again, this book doesn't shy away from the hatred and violence that John Lewis and his cohorts faced in trying to secure their rights. The endless protests trying to get people registered, inevitably followed by beatings and arrests. And more than a few deaths.

This book maybe be John Lewis' memoir, and it's certainly skewed towards his perspective, but it functions more as a history of the Civil Rights movement. It's accessible and memorable, and I can only hope that it ends up as required reading in schools across the country. I think I would have benefited from reading this in high school, and I'm glad I read it now.

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