Graphic novels to break down cultural historical barriers. This is using a medium, not just a story, to build a bridge.
A two-page illustration in front of the chapter “Of the Dawn of Freedom” provides a stark introduction to DuBois’ examination of Reconstruction, when post-Civil War hopes for actual black freedom lived briefly before being brutally dashed. A black man holding the sign “CONTRABAND” is being marched along, flanked by someone marked as Warden and another scowling man marked as Massa. Above the action, two white hands separate the panel, searing apart silhouettes of black figures looking and reaching into the future.
Source: The Visual Storytelling of Black Life in America | PopMatters