On Thursday, members of the Social Action Club and AP Art zoomed with Andrew Aydin, co-author of the
March and
Run trilogies. Aydin worked with Congressman John Lewis for 15 years and has written Lewis's life story in a series of graphic novels. When asked a question regarding the time when Lewis was ousted as President of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Aydin said, "Sometimes when we stand up for our principles we pay a heavy price with our friends and colleagues."
Aydin encouraged all of the students at the Paramount Theater in Rutland and those zooming in from across the state of Vermont to, "Organize, show up and vote." As he wrapped up in the final moments of his talk, he reminded everyone of John Lewis's credo to "Get into good trouble, necessary trouble" to make the world a better place.
In her reaction to Aydin's talk today, Annie Hauze stated, "I feel that these books and Aydin‘s and Lewis’s message should be a part of school curriculums everywhere. Before reading of his work, I had little to no knowledge of John Lewis or his work with SNCC and other youth-led civil rights organizations. Andrew Aydin, who is a brilliant speaker, highlighted the importance of youth leadership in social justice work and of more extensive education in the histories of such movements as the Civil Rights Movement in schools."
When I asked students for a lasting impression Andrew Aydin made on them, Kiara Nestler said, "A lasting impression made on me is how it is stereotyped that comic books don't really do anything, and especially have little to no political value. March and Run both have an incredibly significant amount of political value, breaking out of that stereotype and becoming an important piece of literature and art in the world of BLM (Black Lives Matter)."
