The March Trilogy By John Lewis And Andrew Aydin

The March trilogy, written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, walks us through the life of John Lewis. Mr. Lewis is a very dedicated man who committed much of his life to protecting equality and human rights within the United States. Some might say that without his influence, we might not have desegregated the south yet. From his childhood to this day, John continues to show kindness and love for all. Books 1 and 2 of March show a tremendous number of great examples of courage and leadership but there were three specific events that were the most impactful. The freedom riders bus bombing, police brutality in 1963, and Mr. Lewis’s speech on Washington were the most monumental events which shaped Mr. Lewis’s character and career.

The Freedom Riders

This was a tragic event where all the United States could watch as the peaceful protesters in Birmingham being fire hosed down and had attack dogs on them. This was an incredibly powerful moment as the outcome changed Birmingham forever. Not even the police, the government funded law enforcement, were helping people of color. This next quote shows how deep of a hatred Mr. Connor had for anyone who believed in desegregating the south. “We will turn the fire hoses on you! ‘These demonstration warrant police action, not this kind of..’ Turn ‘em on or GO HOME. ‘A-ALL RIGHT—DISPERSE—OR YOU’RE GOING TO GET WET.” (Lewis, 136-137). This shows that even though the police were warning Mr. Connor that the sort of action that they were taking was beyond unnecessary and he refused to listen. The protest did not do anything to deserve that sort of punishment. Lewis writes, “A week after the attack on those children, an accord was reached in Birmingham. The city promised to take steps toward desegregation and fair hiring practices -- the same goals we were working toward in Nashville – And the demonstrations ceased.” (Lewis, 138). Once the rest of the country could physically watch, on TV, what was happening, the city decided to give in and start desegregating. They city’s out-of-line actions were finally exposed. This was the last protest demonstrated for equality within

This speech had deep language, a powerful message and it all was given right on Washington, DC, the heart of our nation. This next quote shows the reader how tired Mr. Lewis and all people of color were, of living with segregation. “To those who have said ‘BE PATIENT AND WAIT,’ we have long said that we cannot be patient. We do NOT want our freedom gradually, but we want to be FREE NOW! We are TIRED. We are tired of being BEATEN by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jail over and over again.” (Lewis, 169). Such a powerful quote, showing how much these people had to go through just to live equally with the whites. It was time for someone to stand up to the rest of the nation and tell them exactly what needed to be said. Someone needed to say everything uncensored and John Lewis was that man. Another reason for why this speech was so meaningful for Mr. Lewis is that he could prove to himself how strongly he felt about this and how much he cared. He could show the world his opinion and why it needed to be heard. In the next quote, the reader can really feel the power and passion in Mr. Lewis’s speech. “WE MUST SAY: WAKE UP, AMERICA! WAKE UP!! For we cannot stop, and we will not and cannot be patient.”(Lewis, 171). John Lewis purposefully used powerful wording in his speech. He dared to say what so many had been hiding from