Amazons, Abolitionists and Activists

 Amazons, Abolitionists and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights, Mikki Kendall and A. D'Amico, Ten Speed Press, 2019

In graphic novel form, this book presents the history of women's fight for their rights, from Ancient Egypt to the present.

Lady Xian of China is credited with ending human trafficking in southern China before she died in the year 602. She is still honored today. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, who died in 1204, was one of the most powerful rulers in British history. The Dahomey Amazons were an all-female regiment in what is now the Republic of Benin. Started in the 1600's, the regiment lasted until 1894. The book also explores slavery, the women's suffrage movement, the settlement house movement, Margaret Sanger and family planning, the Harlem Renaissance, Jim Crow, Japanese intermittent camps, etc., up to the present day.

This is a gem of a book. For any young person who has been exposed to real American history (more than what is taught in school) and wants to learn more, here is a wonderful place to start.