Watch our latest webinar featuring Harvard Law Professor and author Alan Jenkins to discuss his groundbreaking new series, “1/6: The Graphic Novel.” Written by Alan Jenkins and New York Times bestselling author Gan Golan and illustrated by veteran comic book artist Will Rosado, “1/6” answers the question: What if the January 6 Insurrection had been successful?
This graphic novel chillingly demonstrates how strategic disinformation and extremism convinced ordinary Americans to undermine cherished constitutional values and support violent sedition. Inspired by speculative fiction such as 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Twilight Zone, and Parable of the Sower, “1/6” explores themes of autocracy, scapegoating, and more, all presented through a captivating, character-driven story.
By using graphic novels as a medium, “1/6” aims to encourage readers to engage in meaningful discussions about democracy and the need to protect our values. It is a cautionary tale that urges people to take action against ongoing attempts to downplay, justify, and divert blame away from those who perpetrated the January 6 attack on the Capitol. Additionally, “1/6” includes an Education and Action Guide developed by the Western States Center, a nonprofit organization that works with communities and organizations to strengthen democracy.
Alan Jenkins is a Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School where he teaches courses on Race and the Law, Communication, and Supreme Court Jurisprudence. Before joining the Law School faculty, he was President and Co-Founder of The Opportunity Agenda, a social justice communication lab.
Jenkins’s prior positions have included Assistant to the Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he represented the United States government in constitutional and other litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court; Director of Human Rights at the Ford Foundation, where he managed grantmaking in the United States and eleven overseas regions; and Associate Counsel to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, where he defended the rights of low-income communities facing exploitation and discrimination. He previously served as a Law Clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry A. Blackmun and to U.S. District Court Judge Robert L. Carter.
Jenkins is a frequent commentator in broadcast, print, and digital media on topics ranging from Supreme Court decisionmaking to racial equity to the role of popular culture in social change. His past Board service includes New York Public Radio, the Center for Community Change, the Legal Action Center, and Futuro Media Group, as well as the Board of Governors of the New School for Public Engagement. He has also served on the Selection Committee for the Sundance Documentary Fund.
Jenkins holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.A. in Media Studies from the New School for Public Engagement, and a B.A. in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard College.
