ipl-logo

How Did John Lewis Become An Activist For Equal Rights

1120 Words5 Pages

Although John Lewis had forces like segregation hold him back, there are four turning points such as his first bible, the trip to Buffalo, first arrest, and meeting Martin Luther King for the very first time. From the book March, written by John Lewis, I will show how these situations really made a difference for him to become a public speaker and activist for equal rights. In this essay, I am going to describe how these impacted his life. I will first start with when he was given his first bible. Firstly, John Lewis grew up in a rural area with his parents. They may have been poor financially but I feel they were rich with value. When John was four years old, his uncle gave him a bible for Christmas. Although, he wasn’t able to read it until …show more content…

Anyone facing segregation and discrimination during that era saw MLK as a strong activist. So imagine the excitement John was feeling when he found out that Dr. King wanted to meet him. In his own words (cite Vol. 1 pg. 66), “Gray and Abernathy wrote to tell me that Dr. King wanted to meet me”. As any person fighting for desegregation would, John wanted to work with MLK, and he was finally going to meet him face-to-face. Working towards being a public speaker and activist for African-Americans, meeting Dr. King played a crucial role in solidifying that prospect. On top of that, the generosity of MLK led him offering to raise money in order for him to attend Troy State, a university that had been segregated and did not allow African-Americans to attend. According to Dr. King, (cite Vol. 1 pg. 71) “You must keep in mind, your parents could lose their jobs. Your family home could be bombed or burned.” Even though John turned it down in order to keep his family safe, as they faced dangers if they signed the papers needed for him to try and attend the university, he was influenced by the man and this led to him being a positive public speaker. Next up, is the final major turning point I have chosen that have been influential on the life of John Lewis that led to him being a great public

Show More
Related

Analyzing Primary Sources: Two Versions Of John Lewis Speech

939 Words | 4 Pages

The March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom held on August 28th, 1963 had a total of eighteen speakers, including association presidents, chairmen, and religious leaders all united in one march pushing for the civil rights bill. Each of the speakers was from a different organization, association, religious background, and age, the most famous speech being Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Perhaps, out of all the speakers, the biggest example of the younger generation's voice in “The March on Washington For Jobs and Freedom” was John Lewis’

Read More

What Is John Lewis Purpose Of March As A Graphic Novel

755 Words | 4 Pages

As a college student, would you ever consider yourself reading a book like March? March is a graphic novel written by co-writers John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, and illustrated by Nate Powell. The novel is a direct description of John Lewis’ life and the struggles he faced fighting for civil and human rights. The book includes many details and visual pictures, that explain Lewis’ story and its effect on black history. So the novel is to inform others about the story of Mr. Lewis and how his accomplishments were mainly a result of the Civil Rights Movement.

Read More

Congressman John Lewis March Essay

711 Words | 3 Pages

The graphic memoir, March, is a biography about Congressman John Lewis’ young life in rural Alabama which provides a great insight into lives of black families in 1940s and 50s under Jim Crow and segregation laws. March opens with a violent march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which the gruesome acts later became known as “Bloody Sunday,” during this march, 600 peaceful civil rights protestors were attacked by the Alabama state troopers for not listening to their commands. The story then goes back and forth depicts Lewis growing up in rural Alabama and President Obama’s inauguration in 2009. This story of a civil rights pioneer, John Lewis, portrays a strong influence between geography, community, and politics. The correlation between these pillars of March is that they have to coexist with other in order for John Lewis to exist that the world knows today.

Read More

John Lewis 'A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Book' March

1458 Words | 6 Pages

Let’s begin with John Lewis as he is the primary focal point. John Lewis is known to be a great contributor and influence on the civil rights movement. He faced much tribulation alongside those whom stood up for their egalitarian communal beliefs. Thus, defending

Read More

March By John Lewis And Andrew Aydin

868 Words | 4 Pages

Just as he did to the rest of America , Martin Luther King Jr. showed John Lewis the keys of nonviolent action and being a civil rights protagonist throughout his

Read More

John Lewis: Civil Rights Activist

257 Words | 2 Pages

Who was John Lewis? John Lewis was born in Troy, Alabama and grew up in a family of sharecroppers. He also grew up in an area of segregated schools. Lewis went to college in Nashville, Tennessee at Fisk University, where he learned about nonviolent protests. Lewis helped found the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and joined the freedom riders.

Read More

Mlk Jrd Research Paper

549 Words | 3 Pages

He wanted his voice to be heard so that people knew he was as good as anyone else. When he was younger a store keepers children had played and hung out with MLK JR. But then all of a sudden hated them because they then understood segregation and said they couldn’t be seen with them because they were black. That had just been a slight ignition of his anger. When he was around fifteen and traveled to a statewide competition him and his teacher were forced to give up their

Read More

Dr. Martin Luther King's Jesse Jackson: A Hero

1191 Words | 5 Pages

Jesse Jackson, A Hero. How would you react if you were ever told you couldn’t sit in a specific place on the bus, or you had to drink from a different water fountain? What if you were bullied for having only one parent, or for your skin color? You’d probably be infuriated, or extremely sad or disappointed.

Read More

Why Did John Lewis Become A Student Activist

893 Words | 4 Pages

John Lewis was a shy boy, but did not falter when speaking towards a cause, whether it be civil rights or the word of God. A very large reason why Lewis was able to dedicate himself to his cause was himself facing the ridicule of diversity. All African Americans in the south faced racial discrimination, that is a given. John Lewis however was discriminated even more for he had a speech impediment. He would stutter and not be able to finish his words.

Read More

Summary Of Martin Luther King's Letter From Birmingham Jail

895 Words | 4 Pages

In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. led a peaceful movement in Birmingham, Alabama. The purpose of the demonstration was to bring awareness and end to racial disparity in Birmingham. Later that night, King and his followers were detained by city authorities. While in custody, King wrote the famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” This letter voiced out his disappointment in the criticisms, and oppositions that the general public and clergy peers obtained.

Read More

What Did James Meredith Impact

1149 Words | 5 Pages

When John F. Kennedy became president, James thought it was time to bring the civil rights movement to Mississippi. James hoped that applying to the University of Mississippi would have an effect of stopping segregation in the

Read More

How Did C. S. Lewis Impact American Culture

1058 Words | 5 Pages

In the time of Clive Staples life, he won many different awards, including the Carnegie medal, which is one of the most outstanding awards given to authors. Clive Staples is very well known for his strong faith in God, which later led him to write the chronicles of Narnia series. The time period of Lewis had a great impact on the way he wrote the things he did. Lewis’s college experiences had the most impact on the things he did and the books he wrote. Another experience that impacted his writing was the army.

Read More

John Lewis Impact On The Civil Rights Movement

629 Words | 3 Pages

"The Civil Rights Movement" fits the description of many words. But it affected people of color, ethnicities, religions, and cultures for the better. This happened with the help of the community, and the people of color who led and stood up for the people of America. What went into the making of this memorable movement, couldn't remain as a thought, but an ocean of ideas that flowed from one another to have one central agreement that the lives of African Americans could not remain the same. How did African Americans make such a large impact on Civil Rights?

Read More

How Did Martin Luther King Impact My Life

477 Words | 2 Pages

Later in life, I realized that Mr. King did a lot of African-Americans, he had many other important influential messages. His message was about the racial equality and the economic equality. Everyone in the states really deserved a good amount of money so they can support themselves and their families. His last speech was in support of the bus driver 's strike which is located in Memphis, Tennessee. While Mr. King was in Memphis for that trip in 1968, a man shot him on a balcony outside of his motel room.

Read More

Martin Luther King's Speech Tone

1111 Words | 5 Pages

At the 1963 March on Washington, American Baptist minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of his most famous speeches in history on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at the height of the African American civil rights movement. King maintains an overall passionate tone throughout the speech, but in the beginning, he projected a more urgent, cautionary, earnest, and reverent tone to set the audience up for his message. Towards the end, his tone becomes more hopeful, optimistic, and uplifting to inspire his audience to listen to his message: take action against racial segregation and discrimination in a peaceful manner. Targeting black and white Americans with Christian beliefs, King exposes the American public to the injustice

Read More

More about How Did John Lewis Become An Activist For Equal Rights

Related Topics

Open Document