What Was John Lewis Accomplishments

John Lewis, who is now known as a “Big Six” civil rights leader, joined The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) Freedom Rides in 1961. The Freedom Rides’ purpose was to challenge the poorly enforced decision of the Supreme Court, which ruled segregated buses unconstitutional (Arsenault 4). The start of John Lewis’s career in the African American civil rights movement was as a very young activist. He led sit-ins and adored Martin Luther King. Lewis referred to him as “the person who, more than any other, continued to influence my life, who made me who I was” (Lewis 412). Lewis’s life after the freedom rides were full of noble actions and monumental steps forward in the African American access to human rights. Although John Lewis is known mostly

Many of the accomplishments he made in the earlier years of his life demonstrate his future participating in the Freedom Rides as well as other protests. His childhood life surrounded by the excitement of the movement only initiated a spark of passion for him, while his personality and justified morals were the part driving him (Adam Pawluk). This wouldn’t change throughout his whole career. His childhood had conflicting influencers, his parents and his idols, yet he still decided to choose African American rights over anything (Arsenault). Also Lewis’s strong religious background helped him have a strong moral compass for right and wrong. Right before the Freedom Rides Lewis was a main organizer in the successful Nashville sit-ins where he emerged a solid leader, ready for a bigger step in his career. All of these accomplishments indicate Lewis was not dependent on the Freedom Rides for his honorable accomplishments, which

The influence from Martin Luther King Jr. and other rebellious activists were the key to stirring Lewis’s passion for justice. Also Lewis’s religion was the backbone of his morals and the start of his need for expression of his beliefs. The last large indicator John Lewis was going to become a significant figure in the movement was his involvement in non-violent protests before the Freedom Rides. His part in organizing and initiating the Nashville sit-ins were foreshadow Lewis was going to stop at nothing to gain the human rights African Americans deserved. Before any involvement with the bigger scale protests Lewis had been arrested several times and beaten for his part in the African American Civil Rights Movement, showing his commitment to the movement and the sacrifices he was willing to make. These are all indicators Lewis was destined to accomplish large strides forward in the movement no matter the future events or