17: John Lewis (1940 - 2020) wants you to get into (good, necessary) trouble. Rest in Power.
“My philosophy is very simple: When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just? Say something, do something. Get into trouble - good trouble, necessary trouble."
On August 28, 1963, John Lewis was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) - one of the "Big Six" leaders of groups who organized the 1963 March on Washington. This is an excerpt from his speech that day - when he was twenty-three.
FULL SPEECH: https://youtu.be/tFs1eTsokJg
TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/2WCKDSp
John later served thirty-two years as US Congressman (D-GA, 1986-2018), and was awarded the Presidential Medial of Freedom. He was born in Troy, Alabama, on January 3, 1940 and passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 17, 2020.
John Lewis remains an American civil rights icon - his work is never complete. Rest in power.
LEARN ABOUT JOHN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lewis_(civil_rights_leader) twitter.com/repjohnlewis
"March" (graphic novel trilogy): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29844341-march
"Good Trouble" (documentary): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_oEkOdIXdo
DONATE: Southern Poverty Law Center: https://www.splcenter.org/