Emilie Plateau

Surely most U.S. readers have heard of Rosa Parks and the role she played during the civil rights movement but have you heard of Claudette Colvin? I know I had not heard of her prior to reading this book. It made me wonder how other important details were omitted from all my grade school and high school history classes.

Sadly, for many years Ms. Colvin was basically erased from history, including her activism and role in Browder v. Gayle.
She wasn't deemed to be good role model by the men who were making many of the legal decisions during that era and they were afraid her background would impact the outcome of the legal proceedings. As the book progresses, readers become aware that other women were also omitted from long-term historical reference. I won't add more details here, as I hope others will seek out this quick read.

I don't read a lot of graphic novels but I thought the story was told in a way that YA readers could easily understand while still being sophisticated enough for adults to appreciate. The illustrations readily compliment the messages in the story. As I write this, the ebook version is available to borrow through Hoopla.… (mere)

Un magnífic retrat de la lluita pels drets civils portada per les dones d'Alabama als anys 1950. La desconguda protagonista és una jove de 15 anys que s' atreveix a testificar contra l'actuació de la policia contra ella per negar-se a aixecar del seu seient per deixar seure a una persona blanca. Uns dibuixos precisos i un texte concís ens narren l'experiència d'una noia normal que reinvindica el seu dret com a ciutadana. El seu nom no ha passat a la història com el de Rosa Parks malgrat iniciar la lluita abans que ella, el seu nom no cal que ningú el recordi, perquè és massa insignificant, però la novel.la de Tania Montaigne el va reivindicar i ara amb format còmic Émile Plateau ho acosta a un públic diferent.
Adreçat a lectores joves proposa posar-se en la pell de la protagonista i intentar que pensin que se sent davant de les injustícies que li van succeint.… (mere)

children's/teen/adult graphic nonfiction (adapted from Noire by Tania de Montaigne and originally published in French), 15 y.o. Black student Claudette Colvin is beaten and arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus in 1955 Montgomery, Alabama.

Told in straightforward illustrations and short text sparing the violence but not the seriousness of the topic in a way that younger readers can understand, though there is some language--bitch, whore, etc., plenty of racist insults, and teenage Claudette's getting pregnant by a married man (prompting the civil rights leaders to shift attention away from Claudette and towards the elderly Rosa Parks in a future boycott). It is occasionally tricky to identify which person is being referred to (I think this man behind the desk is one of the lawyers?--the backmatter helps a lot) but the story moves along quickly.
Backmatter includes more information on Jim Crow, NAACP, WCC (White Citizens' Council), WPC (Women's Political Council), Jo Ann Gibson Robinson, Fred Gray, Rosa Parks, E.D. Nixon, William A. Gayle, MLK, Mary Louise Smith, and Jeanetta Reese.… (mere)