John Lewis

1940–2020

1 series 3 books in order 2013–2016

John Lewis was born on February 21, 1940, the son of sharecroppers, outside of Troy, Alabama. He grew up on his family's farm and attended segregated public schools in Pike County, Alabama. Inspired by the activism surrounding the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., he became involved in the Civil Rights Movement. As a student at Fisk University, he organized sit-in demonstrations and participated in the Freedom Rides. He was a leader in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and a key figure in the March on Washington in 1963. He also led the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, an event known as "Bloody Sunday." Lewis later worked in voter registration efforts and served in various leadership roles, including as Director of the Voter Education Project. He was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981 and to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986, representing Georgia's Fifth Congressional District. He holds a B.A. in Religion and Philosophy from Fisk University and has received numerous awards and honorary degrees. He is the co-author of the graphic novel memoir trilogy MARCH.

Born

1940

Active years

2013–2016

Known for

March

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