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  John Lewis 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 predomi...