Oral History of Congressman John Lewis

Oral History of Congressman John Lewis

Introduction

John Lewis is an American political and civil rights leader. He was born in 1940 as the third born son to his sharecropping parents. He is a Democrat who is currently serving as the US Representative for the 5^th Congregational District, Georgia. Congressman John Lewis is prominently known for his involvement in the civil rights movements since his time at the university. Ever since he was first elected as a Representative in 1987, he has remained steadfast in his quest for an equal society where every American enjoys the benefits of democracy (Boehme, 2016). This paper shall provide an oral history analysis of Congressman John Lewis’ involvement in higher education and the impact he has had on the sector.

Analysis

Growing up in Alabama shaped the life path that John Lewis chose to pursue. As a Southern state, Alabama had an entrenched segregation system that favored the differential treatment of the White and Black Americans. During his childhood, he got exposed to the ills that compounded the Jim Crow rules. The inability to access the essential amenities was an instrumental factor for the fight for civil rights during the 1950s and 1960s (Brooks, 2008). For instance, Congressman john Lewis explains that at one time, while he was in high school, he was unable to access a library facility because it was designated for White students. Such treatments motivated him to work towards ensuring other citizens would not have to endure systematic prejudice. John Lewis describes his childhood as a happy one. However, he explains that he had to work quite hard to help his parents with the farm work. It is at the farms that he first realized the segregation biases could be effectively defeated. He described an incident when he observed some white and black men working on a farm.

The group was going about its business in effortless harmony. At that point, Congressman John Lewis appreciated the power of working together without having to live with undue prejudices based on race or color.

As a native of Alabama, Rep. John Lewis attended schools in Pike County. He went to Pike County Training School, American Baptist Theological Seminary, before proceeding to Fisk University (Lewis & D’orso, 2015). However, he explains that his path to get a bachelor’s degree from the university was not a straightforward one. Initially, after high school, John Lewis wanted to attend Troy University, which was then known as Troy State College. However, he knew that he stood no chance of admission due to the Jim Crow laws. Also, the Congressman elaborates that his other preferred option was enrolling in Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia. However, this was not possible because his family could not afford the tuition fees at the institution. Faced with the biased segregation laws and financial constraints, Congressman John Lewis opted to enroll in American Baptist because of the flexibility accorded to tuition payment. He could work for the institution as an alternative for fees payment. He joined the institution in 1957, immediately after completing high school.

Congressman John Lewis explains that his decision to apply for admission at the Troy University marked the commencement of his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. After successfully joining American Baptist, he decided to try his luck at Troy State College. Unsurprisingly, the university never responded to his application (Brooks, 2008). John Lewis states that he was quite disappointed that even after the milestone decision of the Supreme Court in Brown v Board of Education, he was not able to attend the institution of his choice. Hence, he reached out to Dr. Martin Luther King to get some help on how best to proceed with the matter. Unfortunately, John Lewis backed out from any plans to initiate legal proceedings against Troy State College. The withdrawal was because his parents were at risk of eviction from their place of stay in case he opted to attack the Jim Crow laws. John Lewis Congressman John Lewis maintained the contacts that he had obtained during his admission tussle at Troy University.

He explains that as a teenager, he admired the work that Dr. King and other leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. The movement had gained steady ground during the Montgomery bus boycott period. His attitude towards the unfavorable laws on segregation and the difficulty with admission to Troy State University made him resolve to join the movement and fight the injustices that people experienced. He first met Dr. King in 1958 after the Civil Rights Movement leader had sent him a bus ticket inviting him to Montgomery (Lewis, 2016). Although he did not pursue the admission to Troy University, he states that meeting the icon motivated him to get fully engaged in the movement to help other students who may have had similar issues with admission. Furthermore, he elaborates that his involvement in the Freedom Rides and Bloody Sunday was influenced by Dr. King’s organization of the bus boycotts. The Freedom Riders were dedicated activists who pushed for the enforcement of desegregation laws in the transport sectors. Rep. John Lewis elaborates that meeting Dr. King while he was only 17, did not significantly affect his academic life. He was committed to attaining academic excellence, and the stardom achieved during the period could not have derailed him. Hence, the meeting with Martin Luther King motivated him to level up to the success of an icon that he admired immensely.

While at college John Lewis learned the nonviolence strategy when dealing with matters. He passionately describes nonviolence as a way of life, even though he has experienced severe brutality throughout his activism work (Lewis & D’orso, 2015). He organized sit-ins at both American Baptist and Fisk University to help communicate their message to a broader audience. He was an active member of the Nashville Student Movement, which primarily challenged racial segregation in Tennessee. The sit-ins were implemented at segregated lunch counters. Congressman John Lewis explains that the longer they continued with the sit-ins, the riskier it became. They were subjected to intense humiliation and intimidation by other students and senior management staff who were not impressed with what they were doing. For instance, he remembers that they were roughly beaten and spit on. John Lewis explains that the nonviolent philosophy was the main reason as to why the members of the sit-ins never struck back when they were attacked and harassed. Eventually, the members of the Nashville Student Movement were arrested for their activism. However, the series of arrests never discouraged John Lewis from undertaking what he believed was the right thing to do (Boehme, 2016). As a student, his struggle for equality made him be arrested an unprecedented 24 times.

In 1960, John Lewis was among the founding members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. The SNCC was established so that the young black students could be heard within the Civil Rights Movement. Since the education system had experienced the brunt of the segregation laws, it was prudent for the earners to get involved and provide the possible solutions to the discourse. Congressman John Lewis rose to be the leader of the student wing in 1963 after the resignation of the then president, Chuck McDew (Lewis, 2016). At this stage, he had already gained respect within the circles of Civil Rights fighters. Apart from nonviolence John Lewis insisted on reconciliation as an effective way of ensuring the wounds created through unfair treatment are healed. As the president of SNCC, his involvement with the Civil Rights Movement intensified because of the ease with which he could access King and co. His capacity as the president made him be selected as one of the ‘Big Six’ individuals who were supposed to spearhead the ‘March on Washington.’ He was the youngest speaker at the event where Dr. King presented his famous; I have a Dream, speech. Rep. John Lewis acknowledges that his planning and involvement in the grand march at such a young age served to reassure him of his passion and what he wanted for his people.

Questions were posed to Congressman John Lewis regarding the nature of his departure from the SNCC. He explains that it was quite unfortunate that he had to leave the organization at that particular time. Representative John Lewis left the SNCC in 1966 at a time when the civil rights movement was quite active, and the involvement of the students’ body was crucial (Congressman John R. Lewis, 2020). He states that his departure from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee was partly influenced by the changing ideologies that the group espoused. For instance, his successor Storky Carmichael spearheaded the ‘black power’ stand as a slogan for the SNCC. The committee adopted radical approaches that were not particularly as Rep. John Lewis had envisioned. This was evidenced when Storky Carmichael stated that the use of nonviolent means was no longer a viable option for the fight against systematic racism. The disruptions and chaos within SNCC eventually resulted in the collapse of the once vibrant student body. Congressman John Lewis explains that it is only through the power of nonviolence that individuals who have been wronged can find the strength to forgive and reconcile. Thus, he opted to continue his fight against racism and inequality within other quarters that he shared similar ideologies.

Conclusion

Representative John Lewis is an icon in his own right in the struggle for civil rights in America. He has remained true to the struggle as a student and even now as a Congressman. Therefore, his courage has allowed him to continuously fight for the protection of human rights and be a champion of civil liberties.

 

 

References

Boehme, G. (2016). John Lewis and Desegregation. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC.

Brooks, E. F. (2008, November 15). John Lewis. Retrieved March 21, 2020, from

http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1841

Congressman John R. Lewis. (2020, January 23). Retrieved March 21, 2020, from

https://achievement.org/achiever/congressman-john-r-lewis/

Lewis, J. (2016, June 28). Biography. Retrieved March 21, 2020, from

https://johnlewis.house.gov/john-lewis/biography

Lewis, J., & D’orso, M. (2015). Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement. Simon and

Schuster.