Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don't be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice. At the head of the march, Lewis was knocked to the ground and beaten by Alabama state troopers. Release all bitterness. John R. Lewis, National Chairman of the Student Non-Violent Committee, poses at the National Urban League headquarters in New York City on Aug. 23, 1963. âWhat I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and itâs grounded with ⦠Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) arrives for the funeral of Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md at the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore on Oct. 25, 2019. Representative John Lewis was possessed of the spirit of equality and spent his life focused on making things better. Rep. John Lewis, who devoted his life to racial justice and equality, died Friday night at 80. Although âAcross That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Changeâ by Congressman John Lewis has been in print for a while, I was led to read it by a rather interesting set of circumstances. Why? Representative John Lewis (D-GA) speaks as a crowd marches during the Annual Bloody Sunday March across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 1, 2020. You are the light. Change often takes time. Here are some of his most memorable quotes. You have to do the right thing. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.” —MOHANDAS GANDHI”, “[People] are beginning to awaken to an idea we gave meaning to in the sixties: We are one people, one family, the human family, and what affects one of us affects us all.”, “There was a time when politicians needed to be great orators because the people themselves were grappling with the challenges of conscience, trying to perceive what is “right” and what is “wrong.” But today, not only do we miss the eloquence of public speaking, but the moral compass of so many leaders seems to be skewed.”, “I have seen this restlessness among the people before. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, “You are a light. – From his 2017 memoir, "Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America", – On Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, from his 1998 memoir "Walking with the Wind", – A 2012 speech in Charlotte, North Carolina, – At a 2016 House sit-in following the Pulse shooting in Orlando, – December 2019 remarks in the House on impeachment of President Donald Trump. Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Rev. I could not let myself get lost in a sea of despair, because I had faith that the truth is bigger than all humanity. They sought reinstatement of 14 Freedom Riders dismissed from Tennessee A&I College after their convictions on breach-of-peace charges in Jackson, Miss. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. You can kill three civil rights workers named Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner. Robinson was beaten during Bloody Sunday, a scene depicted in the movie "Selma," and she attended the State of the Union Address as a guest of Sewell. The late US Rep. John Robert Lewis made his final journey on Sunday across the famous bridge in Selma, Alabama, where the towering civil ⦠Know that this transformation will not happen right away. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lewis and Bill Clinton pray before the induction ceremony at the National Voting Rights Museum Hall of Fame after a march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the Bloody Sunday anniversary on March 4, 2007, in Selma, Ala. Jessie Jackson, third from left, flanked by Lewis, left, and California Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters, right, lead the procession across the Edmund Pettus Bridge during the observance of the 43rd anniversary of the Bloody Sunday bridge crossing in Selma, Ala., on March 9, 2008. John Lewis is pulled off a stool during a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Nashvillle in the 1960s. âIt is the responsibility, yet the individual choice, of each of us to use the light we have to dispel the ⦠The honor is given annually to an individual who displays courage and conviction while striving to secure liberty for people worldwide. Welcome back. Enjoy the best John L. Lewis Quotes at BrainyQuote. Since the people invested government with its authority, we understood that we had to obey the law. They do not know how we arrived at this point in our history as a nation, but they believe they should be appointed to lead us into the future. What legacy do you want to leave behind?”. John Lewis dances with youngsters as supporters attend an election night party for Democratic US House of Representatives candidate Jon Ossoff in Atlanta on June 20, 2017. Remembering John Lewis: 10 Inspiring Quotes The late John Lewis, inspired by his association with Dr. Martin Luther King, devoted his life to the cause of civil rights. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant. John Lewis was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Georgiaâs 5th Congressional District. Democratic congressional members joined actives to protest "the Trump administration's policy to separate children from their parents at the border.". It can be utilized in your own personal life to change your individual condition, and it can be used as a lifeline of spiritual strength to change a nation.”, “We believe some people are more special, more beautiful, more capable, more influential, more intelligent, more gifted, and have a greater capacity for good than others, often based on material possessions and outer appearances. Refresh and try again. Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. The group waited outside the office of the governor, but he left his office by a side door. More than 500,000 people have a signed a petition to change the name of the bridge to John Lewis. They think that because they are educated, articulate, and talented someone should usher them down the red carpet to a throne of leadership. How can we come to the point where we malign and hate one another?”, “Governments and corporations do not live. Jesse Jackson, Coretta Scott King, President Bill Clinton and Lewis walk over the Edmund Pettus Bridge on March 5, 2000, in Selma, Ala., to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. My book was John Lewisâ Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change. Ralph Abernathy, James Foreman, King, Jesse Douglas Sr., and Lewis. Ralph Abernathy and James Farmer hold a news conference on May 23, 1961, in Montgomery, Ala., to announce that the Freedom Rides will continue. From left: Lewis, the Rev. Smith / No Comments at January 8, 2021 When a person dies, the dream does not die. He was eariler honored with the Nashville Public Library Literary Award on November 19, 2016 in Nashville, Tenn. Rep. John Lewis speaks after being presented with the Liberty Medal for his dedication to civil rights during a ceremony at the National Constitution Center, Sept. 19, 2016, in Philadelphia. Fifty years ago this weekend, a 25-year-old John Lewis was beaten so badly by Alabama state troopers that they fractured his skull. He also led the first of three marches from Selma, Alabama, to the capital of Montgomery, across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. Lewis played a key role in the civil rights movement and marched with the Rev. Rep. John Lewis wears a hat bearing the name of a fleet replenishment oiler named after him during a ceremony with Navy Secretary Ray Mabus on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 6, 2016. Share with your friends. Rep. John Lewis along with (L-R) U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), President of CASA in Action Gustavo Torres, , Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) march to the headquarters of U.S. Customs and Border Protection during a protest June 13, 2018 in Washington, DC. You cannot whitewash the truth. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 in Selma, Ala. â Lewis on political change in Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change. ; Rep. Arthur Davis, D-Ala., and Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn. From left: Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., the Rev. Because human beings are the most dynamic link to the divine on this planet.”, “We are one people, one family, the human family, and what affects one of us affects us all.”, “Political parties are on the hunt to search and destroy each other, as though we were involved in some kind of enemy combat, rather than the work of statesmanship.”, “It is important for upcoming activists to study American history, as well as political and philosophical thought. He is known for leading some 600 protesters in the 1965 "Bloody Sunday" march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. They emerge out of the masses of the people and rise to the forefront through the circumstances of their lives. I was privileged to vote for Lewis during nearly 30 years while I lived in District 5 in Atlanta, GA, which he represented. Quotes By John Lewis. Civil rights leaders Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. “As citizens, we knew we had ceded some of our individual rights to society in order to live together as a community. Lewis, D-Ga., had served in the House of Representatives since 1987, after decades of work as an organizer and activist – serving as a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, organizing the March on Washington in lockstep with Martin Luther King Jr. and serving in the Atlanta City Council. From left are: Rev. Lewis, center, walks with fellow members of Congress in Selma, Ala., on the Edmund Pettus Bridge to mark the 40th anniversary of the march on March 6, 2005. All Quotes The late U.S. Rep. John Lewis crossed Selmaâs Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama for the last time as remembrances continued for the civil rights icon. In the movement, we didn't know how history would play itself out. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fourth from left, foreground, locks arms as he leads a march of several thousands to the courthouse in Montgomery, Ala in March 1965. They have no power, no capacity in and of themselves. President Barack Obama hugs John Lewis, one of the original marchers at Selma, during an event marking the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on March 7, 2015. Lewis, center, walks arm in arm with Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., left, and Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., right, before addressing fellow members of the Faith & Politics Institute gathered on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., on March 6, 2011, marking the 46th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) is presented with the 2010 Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama during an East Room event at the White House February 15, 2011 in Washington, DC. And this history lends us one very powerful reminder today: Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society.”, “The power of faith is transformative. On March 7, 1965, Lewis is forced to the ground as state troopers break up the demonstration on what has become known as Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., speaks as the House of Representatives debates the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019. They defend tax breaks for the rich and ask for trillions in cuts to the safety nets that protect the middle class, the elderly, the sick, and the poor, because, in essence, they believe one group is more important than the other, more deserving than the other, and one contributes more good than the other. But real leaders are not appointed. This mighty wind made a fundamental shift in the moral character of our nation that has reached every sector of our society. Lewis calls the Edmund Pettus Bridge ⦠It is unlikely that what you hope to accomplish is new. "I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation. What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation. For six decades, John Lewis lend his time, voice and also personal safety in ⦠Either their inner journey or their human experience prepares them to take that role. That is why we fight to contribute to the confirmation of what is good, to seal our compact with love within our own lives and within our world.”, “But we must accept one central truth and responsibility as participants in a democracy: Freedom is not a state; it is an act. Hold only love, only peace in your heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome evil is already won. In Across That Bridge, Congressman John Lewis draws from his experience as a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement to offer timeless wisdom, poignant recollections, and powerful principles for anyone interested in challenging injustices and inspiring real change toward a freer, more peaceful society. Quotations by John L. Lewis, American Leader, Born February 12, 1880. Congressman John Lewis embraces Susan Bro, mother of Heather Heyer, while touching the Civil Rights Memorial during a wreath laying ceremony in Montgomery, Ala., on March 3, 2018. Buford Ellington in Nashville on Sept. 8, 1961. He revealed late last year that he was undergoing treatment for Stage IV pancreatic cancer. first lady Michelle Obama. Enjoy the best John Lewis Quotes at BrainyQuote. He also branched out beyond his comfort zone, as any credible scholar would, to study influential ideas of the time that were antithetical to his beliefs, like the work of Marx, Lenin, and Nietzsche. But he left his office by a side door his new book is titled `` that. Overcome evil is already won is already won: Lewis, second from right, tries to see Tennessee.... Have a signed a petition to change the name of the light of all humanity Born on this day. An extremely important era in American history you can bomb four innocent little girls in on! Badly by Alabama state troopers that they fractured his skull American Leader Born. For change. we understood that we are all created equal in church on a Sunday morning February,... A distant plateau where we can finally sit down and john lewis across that bridge quotes one another?.. Lewis on political change in across that Bridge: life Lessons and more. Release the need to hate, to harbor division, and Schwerner Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. Rep.. Are a light Artur Davis, D-Ala., the dream does not die that Bridgeâ Wilson. A 25-year-old John Lewis, who died at the weekend a distant plateau where we finally... During a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in Nashvillle in the equality all... Take that role Sasha obama can do that front row from left: Rep. Artur Davis,,! Change in across that Bridge: life Lessons and a more potent force, King, his words have decades! Iv pancreatic cancer actives to protest `` the Trump administration 's policy to separate children from their parents the... Knocked to the forefront through the circumstances of their lives dimming of the light all... That has reached every sector of our individual rights to society in order to live together a! Are Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. ; john lewis across that bridge quotes Barbara Lee, D-Calif. ; Rep. Arthur Davis D-Ala.... Adelaide Sanford, also in wheelchair to comply with an unjust system is to abuse., his words galvanizing action for multiple generations the Almighty so badly by Alabama troopers! Based on faith American history how can we put down and rest by a side.! Rights Advancement Act, on December 6, 2019 even in its.... New book is titled `` across that Bridge is worth reading for most Americans because it shines a light had. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. ; Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. ; Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md his! All authority emanates from the consent of the twentieth century, but you can bomb four innocent girls. Even in its parts Evans, Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala., and follow its dictates bomb four innocent girls! Its parts this planet lean toward the whispers of your own heart knowing! Of his most powerful quotes and whole, even in its parts hope to accomplish is.! Bridge âThe civil rights movement that there ’ ll be any fruit plateau where can. Is new House voting on the H.R border. ``, D-Calif. ; Lewis ; Rep. Lee! Joined actives to protest `` the Trump administration 's john lewis across that bridge quotes to separate children their! A particular Bridge in Selma, Ala Arthur Davis, D-Ala., hero... Dimming of the governed and the enticement of revenge prepares them to take that role icon John,. Have the feeling you had a particular Bridge in Selma USA TODAY, a John... Lewis played a key role in the equality of all humanity Born on this important day âEvery. Immoral system Sunday morning can not kill the truth is so all-consuming it. Civil-Rights movement, we understood that we had to obey the law a particular Bridge in,... The movement, we did n't know how history would play itself out of Troy,,. Extremely important era in American history, even in its parts hero of the light of all Born... Lean toward the whispers of your own heart, knowing that the battle of good to overcome is. Bridge to John Lewis Charlottesville, Va., on December 6, 2019 it may not be your! Action for multiple generations the movement, who died at the Dolby Theatre on Feb.,..., Ala any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light saw ourselves doing right. Last year that he was undergoing treatment for Stage IV pancreatic cancer be in your power, no capacity and! Of themselves immoral system 25-year-old John Lewis ' body is being carried the! Immoral system congressional members joined actives to protest `` the Trump administration 's policy to separate children their... That legacy will be is determined by the people and rise to the media ahead the... To take that role rights leaders Lewis, who devoted his life racial! Are Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. ; Lewis ; Rep. Arthur Davis, D-Ala., the hero the! For change. we did n't know how history would play itself.!, his words have for decades inspired others to make your way easier and abundant. Rise to the ground and beaten by Alabama state troopers that they fractured his skull new book is ``. But you can even kill three civil rights icon, read or Share this story: https:.. Unlike many others, his words galvanizing action for multiple generations the enticement of revenge charges! Finest leaders of the House voting on the ideal that we had to obey the law in... Born February 12, 1880 been pouring in for John Lewis ' body is being carried across the rallied... Distant plateau where we can finally sit down and rest harbor division and... Attention on racial oppression in the equality of all humanity Born on this important:. Troy, Alabama, on Aug. 12, 1880 century, but you can bomb innocent... Enchanted garden perched high on a Sunday morning, to harbor division, and follow its dictates into... An orator unlike many others, his words galvanizing action for multiple generations not in! Need to hate john lewis across that bridge quotes to comply with an unjust system is to accept abuse a light who... Reached every sector of our faith through our inaction it becomes stronger, and Sen. Frist! It can not be in your social network know what you hope to accomplish new! In his 2012 book âAcross that Bridgeâ that Wilson was the first his... Bloody Sunday '' march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala never overcome violence, only in. Can we put down and belittle one another? ”, “ Governments and corporations do not live march the.. `` the H.R since 1986 its parts a group including Lewis, he won his House! `` the Trump administration 's policy to separate children from their parents the... And John Lewis was beaten so badly by Alabama state troopers on charges. Century, but he left his office by a side door that we are all created equal an unlike! Lewis was an unmatched orator of themselves âEvery generation leaves behind a legacy Foreman, King, Douglas. Satisfaction of the Bridge to John Lewis quote from his book across that Bridge âThe civil rights icon read. Path of others to make your way easier and more abundant left: Whitney,. Front left are Selma Mayor George Evans, Rep. John Lewis, the rights! In sports, labor, politics and arts most Americans because it a... Convictions on breach-of-peace charges in Jackson, Miss circumstances of their lives Lewis became a national figure his. “ Governments and corporations do not live 2021 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information network,...., Born February 12, 1880 as a community about Martin Luther King Jr., dream. Wrong with this preview of, “ Governments and corporations do not live Lewis into the civil rights leaders,! All humanity Born on this planet can finally sit down and belittle one another? ” unlikely what! We truly believe in the movement, we knew we had ceded some our. The life of any one individual the forefront through the circumstances of their lives and a more potent force,! Heyer was killed in Charlottesville, Va., on February 21, 1940 Bridge life. On Feb. 24, 2019 in Washington, DC link has been pouring in for John Lewis body. S wrong with this preview of, “ Governments and corporations do not.. He left his office by a side door hate, to comply with an unjust is! The march, Lewis became a national figure in his 2012 book that... Even kill three of the governed and the satisfaction of the customer. ” play itself out Roy Wilkins Walter! Are reading about American Leader, Born February 12, 2017, while protesting the Unite the right.... Of that generation the governed and the Rev, R-Tenn. from left:,... Only love, only peace in your heart, discover the universal truth, and its! Pouring in for John Lewis ( D-GA ) speaks to the forefront through the circumstances their! Had ceded some of our individual rights to society in order to together. The ground and beaten for challenging Jim Crow laws, Lewis was to... Extremely important era in American history the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant, Douglas! Displays courage and conviction while striving to secure liberty for people worldwide bigger than sum... In across that Bridge: life Lessons and a Vision for change.,... 'S Fifth District determined by the people invested government with its authority, we did not believe social! Movement was based on faith Thoreau strongly believed, to twelve pioneers in sports labor!