The ABC’s of Democracy

The ABCs of Democracy (Grand Central Publishing/Hatchett 2024), an intergenerational “picture book” by Leader Hakeem Jeffries, documents the speech that he gave upon delivering the opening remarks of the 118th Congress on January 7, 2023.

Jeffries was elected as the incoming House Minority Leader in November 2022, thirty-six days before outgoing President Trump incited a riot in the Capital building in an attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to President-elect Joseph Biden.

Leader Jeffries faced a daunting task. He was the first Member to address the entire body of the House before handing over the gavel to the incoming Speaker of the House, and he had to navigate and speak during a turbulent political period about the need for House Members to work collectively in proposing legislation and bills that would move the nation forward.

During his opening remarks, Jeffries chose to use the alphabet and the rhythm and cadence found in the poetics of the spoken word to juxtapose words representing democratic values with words that were in direct conflict with these values. The effect was both a powerful rhetorical rendition of the history and nature of democracy and a Call to Action. See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjLoZ1jtjIQ

The ABCs of Democracy, a vividly illustrated book, unpacks the meaning and core values of democracy and is as relevant today as it was in January 2023. We are witnesses to Republican control of the Presidency, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and executive level nominations in crucial areas: Attorney General, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, Secretary of Health, and Secretary of Education, among others.

President-elect Trump has threatened to challenge the constitutional role of the Senate in approving his nominations and to challenge the authority of the Congress’s control over federal spending. The ABCs of Democracy addresses the need to provide guard rails that will prevent the eroding of democratic values.

More specifically, it provides a context for discussing the values upon which our country was founded and reminds readers that the people’s failure to advocate and maintain these values can undermine the principles of democracy.

In an increasingly visual and digital environment, the use of images, rhythm, and poetic elements to engage youth and the wider public is effective in raising social and political consciousness in our nation. Thus, although the format of The ABCs of Democracy is that of a picture book, its subject matter defies the picture book genre.

Using vivid images and sharp pointed language to highlight the power of words and to spark interest in complicated issues, The ABCs of Democracy encourages readers to unpack and to use critical thinking to examine the democratic concepts highlighted by Jeffries.

In engaging with the book, readers will ask questions and may explore issues such as politics, voter suppression, and the constitutional history of the nation, as well as concepts such as freedom, justice, tyranny, and fascism.

Parents may use the book as talking points with their children; teachers may use it to introduce new vocabulary and to encourage empathy with other people. Readers in general may engage in conversations with youth, adults, civic leaders, and elected officials. The ABCs of Democracy also underscores the need for civics education in our schools and for forums, workshops, seminars, and teach-ins that connect people with diverse political perspectives and involve them in discussions about what it means to practice democracy in our society.

Readers will explore the juxtaposition of concepts such as:
American Values Over Autocracy;
Freedom Over Fascism;
Justice Over Judicial Overreach; and
Knowledge Over Kangaroo Courts.
These concepts are paired with images by the illustrator Shaniya Carrington. The first caption and image “American Values Over Autocracy” symbolizes the values embedded in the flag by portraying a young Black man with the American flag draped over his shoulder. In “Freedom over Fascism,” the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is seen facing the Washington Monument at the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Justice in 1963.

The images and words “Justice Over Judicial Overreach” depict two groups of young people representing diverse racial and ethnic groups. One group is holding a gavel, an embodiment of the demand for justice, and the other group is hosting the platform on which the gavel rests. The young people are symbolically cementing the gavel and the platform to underscore the need for justice in the judicial system. The “Knowledge Over Kangaroo Courts” image depicts young people from diverse backgrounds actively engaged in reading while seated on high stacks of books.

The ABCs of Democracy is particularly timely as we enter another period of uncertainty and possible turmoil in our country. We have a President-elect who has identified leaders who pose a threat to the principles underlying our democratic institutions. As we enter this next phase in the history of our nation, Leader Jeffries’ The ABCs of Democracy is a book that can be read by all ages and that can provide talking points for moving forward and sustaining democratic values in a divided nation.

Dr. Brenda M. Greene is Professor of English, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Black Literature, and Senior Special Assistant to the Provost at Medgar Evers College, CUNY.