Strange Fruit and Bitter Roots

Since the publication of <i>The Middle Passage: White Ships/Black Cargo</i> by Tom Feelings more African American creators have used graphic narratives to explore key moments in colonial and US history. These graphic stories address the painful legacies of anti-Black violence and the long history of racial injustice using the power of comics to both confront the past and offer visions for the future. <p/> From the Middle Passage and slavery to the civil rights movement and today's fight for Black Lives these narratives reimagine history and challenge oppressive systems. Through creative artwork and storytelling they give fresh perspectives on racial violence and racism in US visual culture developing new visual languages and techniques to express these complex histories. <p/> <i>Strange Fruit and Bitter Roots</i> connects scholarly research on Black history with some of the most impactful African American graphic novels. The book explores works such as <i>King</i> by Ho Che Anderson; <i>The Middle Passage</i> by Tom Feelings; <i>Nat Turner</i> by Kyle Baker; <i>Black Panther</i> by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Nnedi Okorafor; <i>Bitter Root</i> by David Walker Chuck Brown and Sanford Greene; <i>Blue Hand Mojo</i> by John Jennings; <i>Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts</i> by Rebecca Hall and Hugo Martínez; and many others bringing a deeper understanding of how graphic narratives can challenge historical narratives and shape conversations about race and identity today.