The Silence of Our Friends

Written by Mark Long and Jim Demonakos and based on Long's childhood memories, The Silence of Our Friends chronicles the Civil Rights struggle from both sides of the color divide. Set in Houston during the 1960s, the narrative alternates between Jack Long, a white television news reporter, and Larry Thompson, a Black Power activist. Jack and Larry meet when a protest that Jack is reporting on turns hostile and Larry steps in to rescue him. From that experience the two men form a friendship, but their bond is soon tested when violence breaks out at another protest and five African-American students are unjustly accused of murder. While the court case may be integral to the story, The Silence of Our Friends is above all a snapshot of life at a time of great social unrest. The artwork by Nate Powell has a fluid, cinematic style, whether it's portraying Jack's anguish when he's forced to testify against Larry and the five innocent men or capturing the range of intense emotions when Larry is turned away by a shopkeeper who won't sell to blacks. Although the trial sequence may be lacking in suspense, The Silence of Our Friends is nevertheless a powerful recreation of a troubling time in American history.