I Am Alfonso Jones

Author: Tony Medina

Illustrator:Stacey Robinson

Publisher: New York: Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books 2017

Alfonso Jones is a fifteen year old, African American teen ghost that haunts a New York subway car. He is stuck in purgatory alongside other ghosts who were victims of police brutality, like himself. They all seek justice in a society plagued by systemic racism.

A thought-provoking graphic novel that illuminates the Black Lives Matter movement. It is a personal story centred around an authentic protagonist. Alfonso had been out shopping for a new suit when a police officer shot him after mistaking a coat hanger for a gun. He now watches the aftermath as his friends and family fight for justice as the media and justice system vilify him. Meanwhile, Alfonso's subway ghost companions comfort him and bond over their shared experiences of police brutality. 

The storyline jumps between flashbacks of Alfonso's ordinary life and the present situation. Black-and-white illustrations evoke authentic emotion and energy. It is a bleak but necessarily honest story that ends by honouring the ongoing fight for justice by many families with images of real victims. 

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