John Lewis: An Entire Lifetime Dedicated Towards Change
An article by Nazaaha Penick
John Robert Lewis, grew up in the difficult era of the civil rights movement.
As a son to sharecropper parents, he faced a plethora of discrimination during his lifetime; he famously survived a police beating during the 1965 march in Selma, Alabama. He was a freedom fighter, speaker of the March on Washington (1963), and most importantly, a prominent figure who “... gave all of himself to the cause of freedom and justice,” as stated by former President Barack Obama.
Throughout his whole life, Lewis has advocated for human rights, and has taken the right steps leading into action, and impact. This is proved through Lewis’ time served as a Georgia congressman for 33 years. Therefore, abling himself to be a catalyst for change until his death on July 17, 2020. He was 80 years old, and unfortunately lost his six month battle of cancer.
As reported by CNN, “Lewis died on the same day as civil rights leader the Rev. Cordy Tindell "C.T." Vivian, who was 95. The dual deaths of the civil rights icons come as the nation is still grappling with racial upheaval in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests that have swept the nation.”
To some, John Lewis is not a popularized civil rights leader compared to Martin Luther King Jr, or Malcom X; however; his strides and constant advocacy towards civil rights specifically concerning Black Americans, should not go unnoticed in the battle of justice that is relevant in today. He has a long record of action including 40 arrests which were the result of demonstrating against racial and social injustice.
To quote Lewis himself, "I have been in some kind of fight -- for freedom, equality, basic human rights -- for nearly my entire life (...)" Reported by CNN.
It is important that, especially in an era where excessive death and violence is ever-apparent ( COVID-19 crisis, and Police Brutality issues leading to Black death), that the next generation of catalysts, look towards John Lewis as an example of what an activist, leader, and exceptional human being is.
Rest in Peace and power.
To end, here are some sources to learn more about John Lewis impact on the world we live in today:
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/17/politics/john-lewis-dead-at-80/index.html
https://www.biography.com/political-figure/john-lewis
BLACK LIVES MATTER RESOURCES
Masterlist of Resources:
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/13O7yipKHeIF2-QJ_K9IKIdLQAlN8NgEOF62qQjUjEVM/mobilebasic
Pending Petitions:
https://pendingpetition.carrd.co