Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. "Ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Lewis on protesting in Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for ChangeĤ. When we were getting arrested and waiting in jail or standing in unmovable lines on the courthouse steps, we didn’t know what would happen, but we knew it had to happen." In the movement, we didn't know how history would play itself out. Know that this transformation will not happen right away. "Take a long, hard look down the road you will have to travel once you have made a commitment to work for change. Ralph Abernathy, James Foreman, King, Jesse Douglas Sr., and John Lewis.ģ. Martin Luther King Jr., fourth from left, foreground, locks arms as he leads a march of several thousands to the courthouse in Montgomery, Ala in March 1965. ― Lewis on political change in Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Changeĭr. Why? Because human beings are the most dynamic link to the divine on this planet." "Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society. Lewis speaking atop the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 1, 2020Ģ. "Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America." Here are 10 quotes from Lewis that provide perspective and inspiration for the fight for social justice.ġ. The Voting Rights Advancement Act would stop these violations and extend the right to vote to all US citizens, including Black and Latin American people, people living in poverty, youth, and the formerly incarcerated. The bill has already passed the US House of Representatives, and many of Lewis’ allies are now saying that showing support for its enactment is one way to honor the late civil rights activist.Īnother way to recognize his legacy is to learn from his experience, put his bold words into action, and champion human rights globally. "Thousands of people of color are being systematically denied access to the ballot box, many of whom have voted all their lives." "Since the Shelby decision, voter discrimination is on the rise," Lewis said in a press release in August 2018. Since 2013, the simple act of voting has been hindered and blocked in several states, as governments enact new voting requirements, purge voter rolls, close voting locations, and spread misinformation, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy." "I have said this before, and I will say it again," Lewis said in June 2019. In the last few years of his life, Lewis worked tirelessly to get the Voting Rights Advancement Act enacted into law as a way to guarantee every American’s right to vote, a right that had been compromised by the Supreme Court’s Shelby County v. Then, Atlanta City Councilman John Lewis holds the March 1965 issue of Life Magazine in his office in Atlanta, Ga., August 1986.The cover photo shows Lewis leading the first Selma, Ala., civil rights march with Hosea Williams. #LEGENDARY LOG BATTLE NATIONS REGISTRATION#Take Action: Check Your Voter Registration Status With 'Just Vote' Here at the 1963 March on Washington, and spent nearly four decades championing the causes of marginalized communities as a member of the US House of Representatives for Georgia. He was beaten and arrested as a Freedom Rider in the early 1960s, he galvanized seas of people alongside Martin Luther King Jr. Lewis dedicated his life to protecting and advancing the rights of Black people in the United States. The legendary civil rights leader John Lewis died at the age of 80 on July 17, but his legacy of getting into "good trouble" to oppose systemic racism is still very much alive and will continue on for years to come. You can join us in taking action on issues he fought for here. John Lewis was a lifelong champion of human rights, whose actions supported the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
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