This man is John Lewis, a famous Civil Rights Leader and African-American Congressman. Born near Troy, Alabama on February 21, 1940, Lewis was involved in the civil rights movement as a young child. He was 14 when the Supreme Court announced its momentous decision in Brown v. The Board of Education. Just a few years later, Lewis was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speeches and the early Montgomery bus boycott to join the Civil Rights Movement.
In 1957, just three years after Brown v. The Board of Education, Lewis left his hometown for the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville Tennessee, where he participated in nonviolent protests and sit-ins. Though he was arrested as a result, this experience would soon push Lewis to fully commit himself to the Civil Rights Movement, beginning with his participation in the Freedom Rides of 1961 that challenged once more unlawful segregation. He would once again be arrested.
After such acts of bravery and determination, Lewis would quickly gain popularity in the 60s. In 1963, at only the age of 23, Lewis became chairman of SNCC and the youngest speaker at the March on Washington. He was known as one of the "Big Six" of the Civil Rights Movement, which included John Lewis, Whitney Young Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King Jr., James Farmer Jr., and Roy Wilkins. The following year, with the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Lewis along with Hosea Williams would lead the march from Selma to Montgomery, during which he and other marchers would be severely beaten when crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Living through the devastating assassinations of King and Robert Kennedy in 1968, Lewis would go on to become "director of the Voter Education Project...[which] helped to register millions of minority voters." Then, in 1986, at the age of 46, Lewis would be elected into the House of Representatives, dedicating his time in office to healthcare reform, greater attention to poverty, improvements in education, and greater equality in voting.
Even in recent years, Lewis's fight for equality and government reform in all aspects still continues. After the horrific mass shooting in Orlando Florida on June 12, 2016, Lewis led a large-scale sit-in in the House of Representatives in an attempt to motivate gun reforms. Sadly, in December of 2019, Lewis was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, temporarily halting his political and social involvement.
For more than half a century's worth of civil rights work, Lewis has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, NAACP Spingarn Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
For more than half a century's worth of civil rights work, Lewis has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, NAACP Spingarn Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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I think this post is very insightful as it gives a background into the life of John Lewis and explains why he was influential. As mentioned in the post, John Lewis was one of the leaders in the March on Selma. This march was part of a series of civil rights protests that occurred in 1965 in Alabama. The point of the march was to help register black voters in the South. However, as the protestors started the 54-mile walk, they were confronted with violence from local authorities. This violence was caught on television and encouraged many Americans to support the civil rights movement. The protestors eventually made it to Montgomery under the protection of the National Guard. Overall, the march was important to raise awareness of the difficulties black voters faced.
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https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/selma-montgomery-march