Summary: We are thrust back in time to the late 1960's in Houston, Texas, where racism still has a strong hold on many of its citizens. Our two main characters have an inter-racial friendship, a friendship that many on both sides of the community do not approve of. Jack is one of the local TV station's news reporters, while Larry is a college instructor, as well as an equal-rights activists. In the beginning the characters are acquaintances, but they soon realize the importance of developing a friendship between each other. Jack sees Larry as someone who can help him do his work as a reporter covering the racial issues of the city, and Larry sees Jack as someone who can bring media attention to their cause. Besides those reasons, both Jack and Larry see their friendship as an example of racial harmony, of co-existence between the races. They both are equal rights advocates, so their friendship would help further their cause. Unfortunately, the occurrences at one of the staged non-violent protests severely puts their friendship to the test.
Reference: Demonakos, Jim; Mark Long (2012). The Silence of Our Friends. First Second, New York, NY 10010.
Impressions: I felt this story was appropriate considering the recent events of this year (2014). Ironically, when I initially read this graphic novel it was over a couple of months ago. However, I decided to blog about it because it came to mind when I would read/saw the news about Michael Brown's death. Our country has made great strides with regards to racial issues, for instance President Barack Obama. Yet, on the other hand, we have Ferguson, Indiana, an example of things not changing all that much from the time of The Silence of Our Friends.
In the story, we see some individuals having difficulty accepting people of different ethnicity on an equal basis. Larry and his family have to deal with racist cops, news reporters, and the occasional death threat. Their neighborhood is terrorized by late night racial slurs from angry citizens and denied customer service from local establishments. It's only natural then that the frustration and anger would fester for Larry and his neighbors to the point of being fed up. Yet, despite the ignorance of so many, the evilness of angry words, Larry and his fellow protestors still hope and dream of a better tomorrow. Hence, their participation in civil rights protests. This staunch attitude is what has brought about so many of the changes that we have today, from an African-American President to Hispanic Senators. Unfortunately, with recent events showing us, we still have a long way to go. However, just as the people in the past have sacrificed for what they believed to be right, so must we. The fight for equality is not over, nor do I believe it will ever be, but the story's like The Silence of Our Friends show us the blueprint on how people in the past dealt with it and how we in the present can learn from their example.
This graphic novel is a good story to share amongst friends and students, especially with the most recent events of our country. The black & white illustrations don't get in the way of the story and offer as a good symbol of the two colors working together, as well as the starkness of the issue at hand. The pace is good and the characters are rich, characters you could easily see in the real world today - unfortunately. So, grab a beverage of your choice and hunker down in your favorite living room sofa, this story is a riveting one not to be missed.
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