Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/994766
Rick Smolan may not have intended it, but the timing for publishing The Good Fight: Ameri- ca's Ongoing Struggle for Justice couldn't have been better. With students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School leading the charge against guns, and massive protests over immigration, police brutality, the environ- ment, women's rights and you-name-it taking place, the environment is ripe for learning about our nation's rich history of social justice struggles. Smolan, a photojournalist and editor best known for his A Day in the Life series of books, worked with his partner Jennifer Erwitt and the Anti-Defamation League to produce the 256-page coffee table book. It pairs historical and contemporary photographs with essays, and — through a companion app — online inter views, excerpts from NPR's "Stor y Corps" (sto- ries of everyday Americans) and videos that dive even deeper into their topic. Photos of Selma, the civil rights struggle, Japanese Am eri can relo cation camps, w om en suf fra gett e s, Native American water protectors, activists for the d i s a b l e d , c r u s a d e r s f o r L G BT Q + r i g h t s , Mu s l i m Am eri can s an d L atin o Am eri can s are al l th ere in black-and-white and color. "At the beginning, I thought the subject would be so depressing, but when you look through, the progress we've made as a country is inspiring," Smolan says. Int ersp ersed amon g th e stirrin g, hi storical photos are moving essays by social critics and The Good Fight New book showcases America's ongoing effort to achieve freedom and equality for all By Dina Martin 45 J U N E / J U L Y 2 018 Teaching & Learning