“Run” will pick up with Lewis in 1966, when he led the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee). A synopsis from Abrams Books reads:
Told in multiple parts, “Run” is the next chapter of civil rights history after the “March” saga, bringing to life the true story of John Lewis and many of his colleagues in the movement after the historic success of the Selma campaign. Days after the Voting Rights Act is signed into law, the Ku Klux Klan mounts its largest hooded protest march in years. Events such as this are a dangerous reminder of the external forces in our society assembling to undo the hard-won protections at the ballot box — forces who have studied the tactics of the movement and are now prepared to weaponize them.
Powerfully necessary in these times, “Run: Book One” is the story of John Lewis’s struggle to lead the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), one of history’s most important nonviolent organizations, as it loses the support of much of the federal government and many of its most important allies. How can SNCC — an organization built on consensus, integration, and nonviolence — survive in the face of powerful disagreements over black political power, white inclusion, the war in Vietnam, and the role of nonviolent civil disobedience in the movement? “Run” is the story of loss, and in the ashes of John Lewis’s role in the civil rights movement, he finds his future in public service.
Unlike “March,” “Run” will be penciled by artist Afua Richardson (“Black Panther: World of Wakanda”). Nate Powell, whose next graphic novel “Come Again” will be released this summer, will still contribute some artwork to the book though, explaining:
RUN covers John Lewis’ transition from direct action into public service in the 2nd half of the 1960’s. The fantastic Afua Richardson is at the art helm! I’m drawing a transition sequence tying events from MARCH into RUN. 🙌🏽❤️🙌🏿❤️🙌🏼 https://t.co/NEYpIXGPsx
— Nate Powell (@Nate_Powell_Art) February 15, 2018
“Run: Book One” will be released on August 14, 2018, and is now available to preorder.
