John Lewis
.jpg)
John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American civil rights icon and long‑serving U.S. Representative from Georgia’s 5th Congressional District. Born to sharecroppers in rural Alabama, Lewis rose to prominence as a leader of nonviolent protest during the 1960s, then transitioned to a distinguished 17‑term career in Congress, where he became known as the “conscience of the House.” His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and “good trouble” earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a lasting legacy as one of the most courageous advocates for civil and human rights in American history.
Early Life and Education
John Robert Lewis was born near Troy in Pike County, Alabama, the third of ten children to sharecroppers Eddie and Willie Mae Lewis. His great‑grandfather had been born into slavery in the same county in 1862, a fact that grounded Lewis’s deep understanding of America’s racial injustices.
Raised in a predominantly Black community, Lewis recounted that by age six he had seen only two white people; his first classroom was a Rosenwald School supported by local families.
Inspired by a childhood aspiration to preach—he once held “services” for chickens on the family farm—he later earned a diploma from the American Baptist Theological Seminary (now American Baptist College) in Nashville and a B.A. in religion and philosophy from Fisk University in 1967, where he also joined Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Vanguard of the Civil Rights Movement
Nashville Sit‑ins and Freedom Rides
As a student at Fisk, Lewis helped organize the 1960 Nashville sit‑ins to desegregate lunch counters, enduring arrests and jail time in his pursuit of racial equality.
In 1961, he joined the original 13 Freedom Riders challenging segregated interstate bus travel, suffering brutal attacks in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Jackson, Mississippi, and spending 40 days in Parchman Farm prison.
SNCC Leadership and the March on Washington
Elected chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1963, Lewis became the youngest of the “Big Six” leaders who organized the 1963 March on Washington. His planned speech boldly questioned federal inaction on racial violence, later moderated in deference to other organizers.
“Bloody Sunday” and Selma
On March 7, 1965, Lewis led 600 marchers across Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge in a voting‑rights protest. State troopers attacked with tear gas and clubs, fracturing Lewis’s skull in an event immortalized as “Bloody Sunday” that galvanized support for the Voting Rights Act.
Political Career
Atlanta City Council
After earning his degrees and returning to Atlanta, Lewis ran for public office in 1977 and served as Associate Director of ACTION under President Carter. He was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981, representing an at‑large seat until 1985, where he championed neighborhood preservation and civic engagement
U.S. House of Representatives
Elected to Congress in November 1986, Lewis represented Georgia’s 5th District from January 3, 1987, until his death on July 17, 2020. He became the dean of Georgia’s delegation and held leadership roles as Chief Deputy Whip (1991–2003) and Senior Chief Deputy Whip (2003–2020), advocating for voting rights, health care reform, and LGBTQ equality.
Honors and Legacy
John Lewis received over 45 honorary degrees and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2011 for “his unyielding pursuit of justice”
His memoir, Walking with the Wind (1998), and forthcoming biographies, such as David Greenberg’s John Lewis: A Life, continue to inspire new generations.
Lewis passed away in Atlanta on July 17, 2020, at age 80, and was laid to rest at South‑View Cemetery. His life exemplified the power of peaceful protest and public service, leaving an indelible mark on American democracy.
