Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a review. Opinions are my own. This middle grade graphic novel tells the biographies of 8 African American historical figures. I especially liked that a few disabled and neurodivergent people were included because their historical contributions are often downplayed or ignored. When white characters used racist slurs, the word in the speech bubbles were replaced with a caricature that looked like a gollywog. I don't know if that was necessary or even an improvement, but I found it to be thought-provoking and an innovate use of the medium. I generally thought the historical analysis was nuanced, but when it came to Tom Wiggins and Cathay Williams, it seemed like their experiences were flattened in order to offer an uplifting story. The biography talked of Tom Wiggins' skill and renown but didn't explicitly call out the ableism and dehumanization that undergirded the praise he received, which I think leaves out a big part of his story. I think it's important to explicitly name because it may not be taught in school and young readers may not recognize it for themselves. Cathay Williams' legacy as a Buffalo soldier is of mixed merit given their role in dispossessing Native Americans of their land, and the author didn't provide details of what exactly she did during her enlistment. I thought that the author generally did a good job of balancing the difficulties and complexities of the lives of those included, but I felt it fell flat in some cases. A good, memorable start for learning some more obscure African American history.