“In our country, the right to vote is precious — almost sacred…Today, the world is horrified in watching Americans — especially people of color — once again stand in immovable lines and experience undeniable, targeted, systematic barriers to democracy.” Hi John,
This Black History Month, we continue to honor those who worked to create change for all of us. Today, on what would have been his 85th birthday, we take a moment to honor Congressman John Lewis. He was more than a politician — he was a champion for justice, a fearless leader in the fight for civil rights, and a warrior for voting rights. From the 1960s lunch counter sit-ins to over 30 years in Congress, he never wavered in his commitment to equality.
Born on February 21, 1940, John Lewis dedicated more than 60 years of his life to the fight for our freedoms — especially the right to vote for Black Americans. As a Fisk University student in Nashville in the spring of 1960, he joined the first national lunch counter sit-ins against segregation, which led to desegregating facilities across the country and ignited his lifelong commitment to nonviolent protest. Just a year later, in May 1961, Lewis and other activists organized the Freedom Rides, challenging the segregation of interstate travel and leading to the government officially banning segregation in all buses and facilities that year.
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By August 1963, at just 23 years old, Lewis took the stage at the historic March on Washington alongside Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders, speaking about the urgent need for voting rights. This powerful moment, witnessed by more than 250,000 people, cemented his role as a leading voice in the movement. Then, in March 1965, he led more than 600 peaceful protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, demanding voting rights. The brutal police attack on marchers, later known as "Bloody Sunday," shocked the nation and led Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965 just six months later.
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From 1971 to 1977, as Director of the Voter Education Project, he helped nearly four million new voters of color get registered and ready to vote. In November 1986, he was elected to represent the Atlanta area in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for more than 30 years, tirelessly advocating for voting rights, racial justice, healthcare, immigration reform, gun violence prevention, and more.
Friend, right now, we are witnessing voter suppression efforts that threaten to undo the progress John Lewis and many others fought for. Restrictive voting laws, gerrymandering, and the dismantling of key protections in the Voting Rights Act remind us that this fight is far from over. But just as Congressman Lewis never gave up, neither can we. We must stay engaged, amplify our voices, and protect the right to vote for future generations.
Let’s honor John Lewis by taking action and getting into #GoodTrouble. Start today with one powerful step: register to vote and make your voice count. >>> |
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