The latest award — the Walter, as it's known — is given annually by We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a nonprofit organization that promotes diversity in children's publishing. (Last year's award went to Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely for ”All American Boys.")
Responding to the news that he had won the Walter, Lewis said via email: ”I am deeply moved for our book to receive this award. It is my hope that it will inspire more people to read and to use their pen to inspire another generation to speak up and speak out."
As part of its commitment to promoting literacy, WNDB also announced plans to donate at least 2,000 copies of ”March: Book Three" to U.S. schools with limited budgets.
Powell, who won an Eisner Award in 2009 for ”Swallow Me Whole," said he appreciates WNDB's efforts to bring more voices to children's literature. ”It's more crucial than ever to illuminate the breadth and depth of human experience," he said. ”As storytellers, readers and viewers, we're all engaged in a struggle between replications of an accepted, dominant narrative and stories that show us precisely how rich and varied people's perspectives can be. It's an honor to help bring some of those experiences to life. We can't let our neighbors' voices be swept under the rug."
Aydin, who works as Lewis's digital director and policy adviser, was born in Atlanta in 1983, long after the civil rights movement, but the two men have demonstrated an extraordinary partnership over these three graphic memoirs, which have been winning awards since the first volume was published in 2013.
”It is an incredible honor to be recognized by an organization that is doing such important work," Aydin said via email. ”I deeply admire all that We Need Diverse Books is working to accomplish and find particular joy in this award."
