This week, the City of East Lansing and MSU announced the plan, which will feature three separate options to choose from, including a graphic novel, a memoir and a film.
This year’s program is coordinated with Project 60/50, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision and the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
“The group wanted to be very aware of these important milestones but also the importance of talking about race in this country and keeping that discussion very much alive,” East Lansing Public Library Director Kristin Shelley said.
The graphic novel, “March Book One,” was written by U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Congressional Aide Andrew Aydin and graphic novelist Nate Powell. It’s a firsthand account of Lewis’ lifelong fight for civil and human rights.
“The purpose of the book is to teach people about a period of time in American history that is often underserved,” Aydin said in an interview.
He said he thinks students will be able to take away important life lessons from the book that he hopes they act upon in their daily lives.
“I think students can take away lessons in how to use non-violence more effectively,” Aydin said. “I still believe young people are the most free in our society and that they hopefully use the lessons they can learn in the book to remake this world in the image they see fit.”
The memoir, “The Grace of Silence,” was written by NPR contributor and award-winning journalist Michele Norris. The film, “Fruitvale Station,” was directed by Ryan Coogler.
The material given by the program will allow students the option to pick between the novel, memoir and film, but the central focus of the three remains intertwined.
“We think these are very important topics that students should be thinking about,” MSU Director of Community Relations Ginny Haas said. “We decided to pick three different things this year to give people different options as to the kind of mediums they are comfortable participating in.”
There also will be a chance for residents to meet Lewis, Norris and Coogler when they visit East Lansing in the fall for community events where they will speak.
Until then, Haas hopes the new material will inspire new conversations.
“The purpose of the One Book, One Community project has always been to encourage conversation,” Haas said. “I think that this does that even more so because there’s even more to talk about.”
