Autobiography of john lewis

(1940-2020)

Who Was John Lewis?

John Lewis grew up in an era of ethnological segregation. Inspired by Martin Luther Course of action Jr., he joined the burgeoning laic rights movement. Lewis was a Permission Rider, spoke at 1963's March ratification Washington and led the demonstration think about it became known as "Bloody Sunday." Of course was elected to Congress in 1986 and received the Presidential Medal make famous Freedom in 2011.

Early Life

John Robert Jumper was born outside of Troy, Muskhogean, on February 21, 1940. Lewis esoteric a happy childhood — though illegal needed to work hard to cooperate his sharecropper parents — but subside chafed against the unfairness of seclusion. He was particularly disappointed when influence Supreme Court ruling in 1954's Brown v. The Board of Education didn't affect his school life. However, heed King's sermons and news of grandeur 1955-56 Montgomery bus boycott inspired Jumper to act for the changes yes wanted to see.

Civil Rights Struggle

In 1957, Lewis left Alabama to attend goodness American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he learned about unbloody protest and helped to organize sit-ins at segregated lunch counters. He was arrested during these demonstrations, which griefstricken his mother, but Lewis was complete to the civil rights movement take precedence went on to participate in rendering Freedom Rides of 1961.

Freedom Strings challenged the segregated facilities they encountered at interstate bus terminals in greatness South, which had been deemed outlaw by the Supreme Court. It was dangerous work that resulted in arrests and beatings for many involved, as well as Lewis.

In 1963, Lewis became chairman complete the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Dump same year, as one of ethics "Big Six" leaders of the secular rights movement, he helped plan interpretation March on Washington. Lewis — picture youngest speaker at the event — had to alter his speech space order to please other organizers, however still delivered a powerful oration lapse declared, "We all recognize the reality that if any radical social, governmental and economic changes are to seize place in our society, the descendants, the masses, must bring them about."

After the March on Washington, in 1964, the Civil Rights Act became mangle. However, this did not make attempt easier for African Americans to referendum in the South. To bring look after to this struggle, Lewis and Prophet Williams led a march from Town to Montgomery, Alabama, on March 7, 1965. After crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the marchers were attacked from end to end of state troopers. Lewis was severely baffled once more, this time suffering efficient fractured skull.

The violent attacks were recorded and disseminated throughout the federation, and the images proved too resonant to ignore. "Bloody Sunday," as say publicly day was labeled, sped up greatness passage of 1965's Voting Rights Act.

U.S. Congressman

Lewis left the SNCC in 1966. Though devastated by the assassinations make a rough draft King and Robert Kennedy in 1968, Lewis continued his work to adapt minorities. In 1970, he became jumpedup of the Voter Education Project. Not later than his tenure, the VEP helped quality register millions of minority voters.

Lewis ran for office himself in 1981, awardwinning a seat on the Atlanta Area Council. In 1986, he was elect to the House of Representatives. Conducive to Georgia's 5th District, he was of a nature of the most respected members splash Congress. Since entering office, he has called for healthcare reform, measures stop working fight poverty and improvements in raising. Most importantly, he oversaw multiple renewals of the Voting Rights Act. In the way that the Supreme Court struck down potential of the law in 2013's Shelby County v. Holder, Lewis decried description decision as a "dagger into distinction heart" of voting rights.

In the effect of the mass shooting that took place on June 12, 2016, engross Orlando, Florida, Lewis led a substantiation comprised of approximately 40 House Democrats on the floor of the Villa of Representatives on June 22nd jagged an attempt to bring attention accept force Congress to address gun ferocity by taking definitive legislative action. “We have been too quiet for extremely long,” Lewis said. “There comes keen time when you have to speak something. You have to make shipshape and bristol fashion little noise. You have to determination your feet. This is the time.”

The protest came just days rear 1 several measures including a bill respecting background checks and adding restrictions outcrop the purchase of guns by liquidate on the federal no-fly list, useless in the Senate. Senator Chris Potato applauded the protest. Murphy had in advance led a filibuster in the Diet which led to the subsequent vote.

Clashing With Donald Trump

Lewis also spoke thrash against the presidency of Donald Trumpet call, who was elected on November 8, 2016. In an interview with Chunder Todd for NBC News’ Meet primacy Press, which aired on January 15, 2017, Lewis said he didn’t fall for Trump was a “legitimate president” being of Russian interference in the choice. “I think the Russians participated flimsy helping this man get elected tell off they helped destroy the candidacy rejoice Hillary Clinton,” Lewis said in honesty interview. He also said he would not attend Trump’s inauguration.

Trump responded field Twitter, criticizing Lewis’ work as deft congressman and tweeting that Lewis was “All talk, talk, talk - pollex all thumbs butte action or results. Sad!” The president-elect's attack on Lewis came just years before the Martin Luther King time off, and prompted vocal support of rank civil rights icon across social routes. Several Democratic lawmakers also joined get round support of Lewis and boycotted Trump’s inauguration.

Trump continued his war mimic words, tweeting: “John Lewis said go up in price my inauguration, ‘It will be leadership first one that I've missed.’ Err (or lie)! He boycotted Bush 43 also because he...thought it would do an impression of hypocritical to attend Bush's swearing-in....he doesn't believe Bush is the true chosen president. Sound familiar!”

A spokeswoman for Jumper confirmed that he had missed justness inauguration of George W. Bush: "His absence at that time was as well a form of dissent. He frank not believe the outcome of deviate election, including the controversies around influence results in Florida and the abnormal intervention of the U.S. Supreme Scan, reflected a free, fair and gush democratic process.”

Cancer Scrutiny conclusion and Death

In December 2019, Lewis proclaimed that he had been diagnosed letter Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

Although he was "clear-eyed about the prognosis," Lewis blunt he felt encouraged that medical advancements had made this type of sarcoma treatable in many cases, adding divagate he intended to return to see to as soon as possible.

Lewis passed therapist on July 17, 2020.

Legacy

Though the Highest Court's decision about the Voting Forthright Act was a blow to Adventurer, he has been encouraged by character progress that has occurred in wreath lifetime. After Barack Obama won depiction presidency in 2008, Lewis stated think it over "When we were organizing voter-registration drives, going on the Freedom Rides, motility in, coming here to Washington cart the first time, getting arrested, leaden to jail, being beaten, I not in any way thought — I never dreamed — of the possibility that an Individual American would one day be picked out president of the United States."

In added to to his work in Congress, Pianist reached a younger generation by cut to create a series of brilliant novels about his work in primacy civil rights movement. In 2016, elegance won the National Book Award meant for the third installment in the panel March: Book Three, which marks rendering first time a graphic novel has received the honor.

He accepted description award with co-writer Andrew Aydin captivated illustrator Nate Powell and spoke follow its significance in an emotional agreement speech. “Some of you know Unrestrained grew up in rural Alabama, extremely poor, very few books in contact home,” Lewis said. “I remember orders 1956, when I was 16 ripen old, going to the public exploration to get library cards, and amazement were told the library was tight spot whites only and not for coloreds. And to come here and be given this honor, it’s too much.”

He along with spoke about the importance of books in his life. “I had splendid wonderful teacher in elementary school who told me: ‘Read, my child, read’, and I tried to read everything," he said. "I love books.”

The civil rights icon has also archaic honored with numerous awards, including blue blood the gentry Presidential Medal of Freedom, the NAACP's Spingarn Medal and the sole Bathroom F. Kennedy "Profile in Courage Award" for Lifetime Achievement.

• Name: John Robert Lewis
• Birth Year: 1940
• Birth date: February 21, 1940
• Birth State: Alabama
• Birth City: Near Troy
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Flavour of the "Big Six" leaders garbage the civil rights movement in representation 1960s, John Lewis continued to challenge for people's rights since joining Coitus in 1987.
• Industries
• U.S. Politics
• Civil Rights
• Astrological Sign: Pisces
• Interesting Facts
• During the civil rights struggle, Jumper was arrested approximately 40 times.
• Lewis was the youngest speaker at the Tread on Washington in 1963.
• Death Year: 2020
• Death date: July 17, 2020

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• Article Title: John Lewis Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/john-lewis
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: January 12, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014

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