John Lewis

John Lewis
United States House of Representatives · Public domain · source
Name	John Lewis
Caption	John Lewis in 2007
Office	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th congressional district
Term start	January 3, 1987
Term end	July 17, 2020
Predecessor	Wyche Fowler
Successor	Kwanza Hall
Birth name	John Robert Lewis
Birth date	21 February 1940
Birth place	Troy, Alabama, U.S.
Death date	17 July 2020
Death place	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Lillian Miles, 1968, 2012
Education	American Baptist College (BA), Fisk University (BA)

John Lewis John Robert Lewis was an American statesman, civil rights leader, and politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020. A key figure in the Civil rights movement, he was one of the "Big Six" leaders who organized the 1963 March on Washington and a prominent advocate of nonviolent resistance. His lifelong commitment to justice and equity made him a moral conscience of the United States Congress.

Early life and education

John Robert Lewis was born on February 21, 1940, near Troy, Alabama, to sharecroppers Eddie and Willie Mae Lewis. Growing up in the segregated rural American South, he was inspired by the activism surrounding the Montgomery bus boycott and the sermons of Martin Luther King Jr. on the radio. Lewis attended the American Baptist College in Nashville, Tennessee, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theology and became deeply involved in the Nashville Student Movement. He later graduated from Fisk University with a degree in Religion. His education coincided with his early training in nonviolence at workshops organized by the Fellowship of Reconciliation and activist James Lawson.

Civil rights activism

Lewis emerged as a central leader in the Civil rights movement through his fearless commitment to direct action. As a founding member and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966, he helped coordinate the Freedom Rides of 1961, challenging segregation in interstate bus terminals. He was a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in 1963. Lewis helped organize the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965; on Bloody Sunday, he led over 600 marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, where he suffered a fractured skull from a brutal beating by Alabama State Troopers. This event galvanized public support and contributed directly to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. His activism consistently emphasized the philosophy of nonviolent resistance and the goal of achieving a "Beloved Community."

Political career

After moving to Atlanta, Georgia, Lewis continued his advocacy through public service. He was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981. In 1986, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Georgia's 5th congressional district, which included much of Atlanta. Serving for 17 terms, he was a senior chief deputy whip for the Democratic Party and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Known as "the conscience of the Congress," he was a staunch advocate for healthcare reform, poverty reduction, immigration reform, and gun control. He was a leading voice for renewing the Voting Rights Act, opposing the Iraq War, and supporting the Affordable Care Act. Lewis also served on the House Ways and Means Committee and its Subcommittee on Health.

Legacy and honors

John Lewis's legacy is that of a towering moral figure in American history. He received numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded by President Barack Obama in 2011. The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act was introduced in Congress to restore protections of the Voting Rights Act. In 2016, he led a historic sit-in on the House of Representatives floor to demand action on gun control. Educational institutions like the John Lewis Elementary School and the John Lewis Chair in Civil Rights and Social Justice at University of Virginia School of Law honor his work. His graphic novel memoir trilogy, March, co-authored with Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, won a National Book Award. The Edmund Pettus Bridge is now part of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, and there are ongoing efforts to rename it in his honor.

Personal life and death

John Lewis married Lillian Miles in 1968; they had one son, John-Miles Lewis. Lillian, a librarian and former Atlanta City Schools administrator, died in 2012. Lewis was a member of the Baptist faith and a resident of Atlanta for most of his adult life. In December 2019, he was diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. He continued his congressional duties during treatment but died from the disease on July 17, 2020, in Atlanta. His death, his death and age 2020, he was honored him. His death|Laws, the death|Heads the United States Capitol and death and freedom|Lewis, John|Lewis, Georgia Governor of Georgia, 2020|Lewis, 1965 Category:John Lewis died on Capitol