John Lewis
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 6, 1987
Preceded by	Wyche Fowler
Born	February 21, 1940 (1940-02-21) (age 68) Troy, Alabama
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Lillian Miles
Religion	Baptist

John Robert Lewis (born February 21, 1940) is an American politician and was a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and played a key role in the struggle to end segregation. Lewis, a member of the Democratic Party, has represented Georgia's 5th Congressional District (map) in the United States House of Representatives since 1987. The district encompasses almost all of Atlanta. John Lewis can refer to: The John Lewis Partnership, a major British retailer operating supermarkets and department stores John Lewis (department store), a business run by the John Lewis Partnership John Lewis can also refer to the following people: John Hamilton Lewis II (US Marine Corps Officer, Businessman) (born 1970... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 478 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (550 × 690 pixel, file size: 61 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Page history * 21:11, January 3, 2006 . ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... The 5th Congressional District of Georgia is currently represented by John Lewis. ... Open seat redirects here. ... is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 1987. ... William Wyche Fowler, Jr. ... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Troy is a city located in Pike County, Alabama. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Baptist is... is the 52nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Prominent figures of the African-American Civil Rights Movement. ... The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC, pronounced snick) was one of the principle organizations of the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. ... Racial segregation characterised by separation of different races in daily life, such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a rest room, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... The 5th Congressional District of Georgia is currently represented by John Lewis. ... Type Bicameral Speaker of the House of Representatives House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, (D) since January 4, 2007 Steny Hoyer, (D) since January 4, 2007 House Minority Leader John Boehner, (R) since January 4, 2007 Members 435 plus 4 Delegates and 1 Resident Commissioner Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party... This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ...

Early life and activism

Born in Troy, Alabama, the son of sharecroppers, Lewis was educated at the American Baptist Theological Seminary and at Fisk University, both in Nashville, Tennessee, where he became active in the local sit-in movement. He participated in the Freedom Rides to desegregate the South, and was a national leader in the struggle for civil rights. Lewis became nationally known after his prominent role on the Selma to Montgomery marches, when police beat the nonviolently marching Lewis mercilessly in public, leaving head wounds that are still visible today. Troy is a city located in Pike County, Alabama. ... Sharecropping is a system of farming in which farmers who do not own the land work a parcel of land in return for a fraction of the parcels crop production. ... American Baptist College (also known as American Baptist Theological Seminary or ABTS) is a small, predominantly African American liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee. ... {{THESE FOOLS GOT OWNED Hermosa, Herman and Jefferson Sts. ... Nashville redirects here. ... A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more persons nonviolently occupying an area for protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. ... The Freedom Rides were a series of nonviolent, direct demonstrations performed in 1961 as part of the U.S. civil rights movement. ... John Lewis (on right in trench coat) and Hosea Williams (on the left) lead marchers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, March 7, 1965 The Selma to Montgomery marches, which included Bloody Sunday, were three marches that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. ...

Of John Lewis, the historian Howard Zinn wrote: "At the great Washington March of 1963, the chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), John Lewis, speaking to the same enormous crowd that heard Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream speech, was prepared to ask the right question: 'Which side is the federal government on?' That sentence was eliminated from his speech by organizers of the March to avoid offending the Kennedy Administration. But Lewis and his fellow SNCC workers had experienced, again and again, the strange passivity of the national government in the face of Southern violence."^[1] Howard Zinn (born August 24, 1922) is an American historian, political scientist, social critic, activist and playwright, best known as author of the bestseller[5] , A Peoples History of the United States. ... “Martin Luther King” redirects here. ... Martin Luther King, Jr. ...

Lewis (far right) with Bayard Rustin, Andrew Young, William Fitts Ryan, and James L. Farmer, Jr.

"John Lewis and SNCC had reason to be angry. John had been beaten bloody by a white mob in Montgomery as a Freedom Rider in the spring of 1961. The federal government had trusted the notoriously racist Alabama police to protect the Riders, but done nothing itself except to have FBI agents take notes. Instead of insisting that blacks and whites had a right to ride the buses together, the Kennedy Administration called for a 'cooling-off period,' a moratorium on Freedom Rides.^[1] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3000x1766, 423 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): John Lewis (politician) ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (3000x1766, 423 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): John Lewis (politician) ... Bayard Rustin at news briefing on the Civil Rights March on Washington, August 27, 1963 Bayard Rustin (March 17, 1912 – August 24, 1987) was an African-American civil rights activist, important largely behind the scenes in the civil rights movement of the 1960s and earlier and principal organizer of the... Andrew Jackson Young, Jr. ... William Fitts Ryan (June 28, 1922-September 17, 1972) was an American lawyer and politician. ... James L. Farmer, Jr. ...

"The white population could not possibly be unaffected by those events—some whites more stubborn in their defense of segregation, but others beginning to think in different ways. And the black population was transformed, having risen up in mass action for the first time, feeling its power, knowing now that if the old order could be shaken it could be toppled."^[1]

Lewis at meeting of American Society of Newspaper Editors, 1964

On October 5, 1963, Zinn began an article called "The Battle-Scarred Youngsters" in The Nation in this way: Image File history File links Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixels Full resolution (536 × 804 pixel, file size: 49 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Date 1964-04-16 Author Marion S. Trikosko, U.S. News and World Reports Permission No known restrictions on publication. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 400 × 600 pixels Full resolution (536 × 804 pixel, file size: 49 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Date 1964-04-16 Author Marion S. Trikosko, U.S. News and World Reports Permission No known restrictions on publication. ... American Society of Newspaper Editors The American Society of Newspaper Editors, also known as ASNE, is a membership organization for daily newspaper editors, people who serve the editorial needs of daily newspapers (wire service editors, news executives at newspaper companies, people who work for journalism think tanks, etc. ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... For other uses, see 1963 (disambiguation). ... The Nation (ISSN 0027-8378) is a weekly [1] U.S. periodical devoted to politics and culture, self-described as the flagship of the left. ...

Standing at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial, John Lewis turned his wrath, not at the easy target, the Dixiecrats, but against the Administration.... To many, the March had been presented as a gigantic lobby for the Administration's Civil Rights Bill, but Lewis pointed quickly, unerringly, to the weaknesses in the bill. Furthermore, by sponsoring a new civil-rights bill, the Administration had skillfully turned attention to Congress, and deflected the erratic spotlight of the civil-rights movement from possibly focusing on inadequacies of the Executive. The straight, crass fact at which John Lewis was aiming is this: the national government, without any new legislation, has the power to protect Negro voters and demonstrators from policemen's clubs, hoses and jails—and it has not used that power. The Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, D.C., is a United States Presidential memorial built to honor 16th President Abraham Lincoln. ...

The full article was later reprinted in Reporting Civil Rights: American Journalism 1963–1973. ^[2]

After leaving SNCC in 1966, Lewis worked with community organizations and was named community affairs director for the National Consumer Co-op Bank in Atlanta.

Political career

Lewis first ran for elective office in 1977, when a vacancy occurred in Georgia's 5th District. A special election was called after President Jimmy Carter appointed incumbent Congressman Andrew Young to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Lewis lost the race to Atlanta City Councilman and future Senator Wyche Fowler. In 1981, Lewis was himself elected to the Atlanta City Council. For other persons named Jimmy Carter, see Jimmy Carter (disambiguation). ... Andrew Jackson Young, Jr. ... UN redirects here. ... William Wyche Fowler, Jr. ... The current Political structure in Atlanta is a mayor and body of one councilman from each of 12 districts plus 3 at-large councilmen: Post 1 representing districts 1-4 Post 2 representing districts 5-8 Post 3 representing districts 9-12 And a City Council President. ...

In 1986, when Fowler ran for the United States Senate, Lewis defeated fellow civil rights leader Julian Bond in the Democratic primary to succeed Fowler in the 5th District. This win was tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic, majority-black 5th District. Lewis was the second African-American to represent Georgia in Congress since Reconstruction. Young was the first. Lewis has been re-elected nine times without serious opposition, often with over 70 percent of the vote. He has been unopposed for reelection since 2002. Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... Julian Bond, 2005 Horace Julian Bond (born January 14, 1940) is an American leader of the American Civil Rights Movement. ... For other uses, see Reconstruction (disambiguation). ...

Since 1991, Lewis has been senior chief deputy whip in the Democratic caucus. He is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.. He was an influential aide for the Clinton Cabinet, and had regular meetings with the administration. In politics, a whip is a member of a political party in a legislature whose task is to ensure that members of the party attend and vote as the party leadership desires. ... The Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing African American members of the Congress of the United States. ... Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. ...

Lewis is, according to the Associated Press, "the first major House figure to suggest impeaching George W. Bush," arguing that the president "deliberately, systematically violated the law" in authorizing the National Security Agency to conduct wiretaps without a warrant. Lewis said, "He is not King, he is president."^[3] The Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the forty-third and current President of the United States of America, originally inaugurated on January 20, 2001. ... For other uses of NSA, see NSA (disambiguation). ... On December 16, 2005, the New York Times printed a story claiming that, under White House pressure and with an executive order from President George W. Bush, the National Security Agency had been conducting warrantless phone-taps on people in the U.S. calling people outside of the country in...

Lewis, an outspoken progressive and staunch opponent of the Iraq War, endorsed Joe Lieberman for re-election to the Senate in 2006, despite Lieberman's loss to Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary.^[4] For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... Joseph Isadore Joe Lieberman (born February 24, 1942) is a United States Senator from Connecticut. ... Edward Miner Ned Lamont, Jr. ...

He was one of the 31 who voted in the House to not count the electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 presidential election. ^[5] The United States Electoral College is the electoral college which chooses the President and Vice President of the United States at the conclusion of each Presidential election. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... The United States presidential election of 2004 was held on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2004. ...

Lewis delivered the Commencement Address at the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Sunday June 3, 2007 at Edward A. LeLacheur Park. The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) is one of five University of Massachusetts campuses. ... is the 154th day of the year (155th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Edward A. Lelacheur Park is a stadium in Lowell, Massachusetts. ...

In September 2007, Lewis was awarded the Dole Leadership Prize from the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas.^[6] The University of Kansas (often referred to as KU or just Kansas) is an institution of higher learning in Lawrence, Kansas. ...

On Sunday, October 1, 2007 Congressman Lewis paid a fitting tribute via speech to a civil rights icon Dr. James H. Meredith (Civil Rights Pioneer and Leader of the 1966 James Meredith March Against Fear, after an assassination attempt Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Stokeley Carmicheal continued the march that started the chant "Black Power!")at the dedication of The University of Mississippi's (Ole Miss) James Meredith Monument. Many were in attendance including actor Morgan Freeman and the family of Oprah Winfrey.

On October 12, 2007, Lewis endorsed the presidential campaign of Senator Hillary Clinton. ^[7] is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... REDIRECT Hillary Rodham Clinton   This is a redirect from a title with another method of capitalisation. ...

On October 21, 2007, Congressman Lewis helped to welcome the Dalai Lama of Tibet to Atlanta and Emory University. This article is about the Dalai Lama lineage. ... This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ...

On February 14, 2008, Lewis announced he was considering withdrawing his support from Senator Clinton and may instead cast his superdelegate vote for Barack Obama: "Something is happening in America and people are prepared and ready to make that great leap."^[8] On February 27, 2008, Lewis formally changed his support and endorsed Barack Obama.^{[9] [10]} is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... REDIRECT Hillary Rodham Clinton   This is a redirect from a title with another method of capitalisation. ... Superdelegate is an informal term for some of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the United States Democratic Party. ... “Barack” redirects here. ... is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

Committee Assignments

• Ways & Means Committee
  • Subcommittee on Oversight (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support
• Co-chair of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Caucus
• Bipartisan Taskforce on Nonproliferation

Notes

2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Reporting Civil Rights: American Journalism 1963–1973 (Library of America: 2003) ISBN 1-931082-29-4
• Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement by John Lewis with Michael D'Orso, (Harvest Books: 1999) ISBN 0-15-600708-8. The U.S. Congressman tells of life in the trenches of the Civil Rights movement, the numerous arrests, sit-ins, and marches that led to breaking down the barriers of discrimination in the South during the 1950s and 1960s.
• John Lewis in the Lead: A Story of the Civil Rights Movement by Jim Haskins and Kathleen Benson, illustrated by Benny Andrews, (Lee & Low Books: 2006) ISBN 978-1-58430-250-6. A biography of John Lewis, one of the "Big Six" civil rights leaders of the 1960s, focusing on his involvement in Freedom Rides, the March on Washington, and the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.
• John Lewis: From Freedom Rider to Congressman by Christine M. Hill, (Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2002) ISBN 0-7660-1768-0. A biography of John Lewis written for juvenile readers.

The Freedom Rides were a series of nonviolent, direct demonstrations performed in 1961 as part of the U.S. civil rights movement. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

John Lewis (politician)

• U.S. Congressman John Lewis, U.S. House site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — John Lewis profile
• John Lewis for Congress, Campaign site