John Lewis was a popular statesman and civil rights activist from America who got elected for the first time in Congress in 1986. He served 17 terms in the United States House of Representatives. Atlanta was one such district that he represented the most. According to his tenure of service, John was made the dean of the Georgia congressional delegation.
During his service at the House, he was among the leaders of the Democratic Party who served as Chief Deputy Whip from 1991 to Senior Chief Deputy Whip in 2003. In 2011, John Lewis was even honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. You might be knowing this late political figure but are you familiar with his early life, career, earnings, and much more?
If not, then today you will get to all right here in this article. So if interested in knowing all about late civil rights activist John Lewis, then let us begin:
Table of Contents
John Lewis Early Life
John Lewis was born in Troy, Alabama on 21st February in 1940 John Robert Lewis. His parents worked as sharecroppers in Alabama at Pike County. John always aimed to become a preacher. When he was just 5 years old, he preached to the farm chickens of his family. During his childhood, he had the least communication with white people. And it was all because in his birthplace Pike County, there was a majority of blacks, and where his family worked on the farms.
When John became 6 years old, he was familiar with only 2 white people. He remembers his growing up in a local Alabama household that struggled to meet the daily needs. He did not have ample book stock in his house. His early education took place in a local minor school, which was within walking distance of his house. The beautiful building was Rosenwald School that was backed by a community. According to John Lewis, it was the only educational institution he had during his student days.
Experiencing Racist Segregation
John recalls an elementary school teacher who seemed very wonderful to him. She motivated him to read. And he followed what she wanted from him. He developed the habit of reading and became a book lover. John recalls a humiliating incident in 1956. It was when he turned sixteen years old and was once going down with his siblings to the public library. When he asked for the library card, he and his brothers and sisters were denied with the racist reason that it was only meant for whites, not for other colored communities.
During his growing stage, John started exploring trips to Troy along with his loved ones. And he kept on facing racist discrimination and separation. John had relatives who were residents of northern cities. He later came to know about the integration of North schools, businesses, and public transport like buses. When John was eleven years of age, he was accompanied by his uncle to the second-largest U.S state of New York City, Buffalo. There he became familiar with racist segregation in Troy.
Hearing Martin Luther King Jr. On Radio
John Lewis heard American Baptist minister and activist Martin Luther King Jr. on the radio in 1955. Getting influenced by his words, he followed him in the Montgomery bus boycott in the same year. At a very young age at 15, John Lewis finally achieved his dream of becoming a preacher by giving his first public sermon. At seventeen, he came in contact with African-American activist Rosa Parks. She was also involved in the Montgomery bus boycott movement. At the age of 18, John first had a meeting with Martin Luther King.
He also gave credit to a Christian preacher Billy Graham. He was much known to the American Baptist minister (King) and activist. According to John Lewis, it was Billy who brought changes in him. It was he who motivated him to become a minister and realize his ambition. John wrote to King about his unpleasant experience in facing denial for getting admission to Troy University.
Troy University Getting Sued By Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther heard the matter of John Lewis regarding denial of admission by Troy University, Alabama. After that he sued the latter university for such racial discrimination but also warned John about such things could bring his family problems. Lewis got a new name of ‘the boy from Troy’ from the King. The American Baptist even had a word with his mother and father.
Later John came up with the decision of getting his education done from a college in Tennessee, which mainly had a majority of blacks. After graduating from a private African-American Baptist college in Tennessee, John Lewis got the position of Baptist minister. He also got a bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy from Fisk University. He became a member of a historic Afro-American fraternity.
Personal Life
John was married to Lillian Miles during the eve of the New Year in 1968. American civil rights leader and broadcasting executive Xernona Clayton was the host of their special event. They did not have any children but had adopted a boy who was given the name of John-Miles Lewis. John’s wife passed away in 2012 on 31st December.
Two years ago, John Lewis made a declaration about his suffering from pancreatic cancer Stage IV. He was in Washington D.C for his treatment. According to him, he had fought for basic human rights and took a stance against inequality and discrimination all through his life. But he never came across a fight that he experienced at this point. And last year on 17th July, John Lewis left his mortal coil after struggling with pancreatic cancer in Atlanta.
John Lewis Career Information
Let us recollect his career briefly now. In 1957, John Lewis was a part of the Baptist Theological Society in America in Tennessee. He researched the protests that are conducted without violence and became part of it. While demonstrating, he got arrested by the law bodies. His mother was not at all in support of him taking part in demonstrations. She was not happy with John for his indulgence in it. But John was also adamant and did not bother about the wrath of his mother and still took part in the Civil Rights Movement.
He sustained his participation in Freedom Rides during 1961. This movement emphasized the offering challenges to racist treatment towards the blacks who encountered discrimination in using the bus terminals. The demonstrations became riskier, where most of the people who were part of it got arrested and badly thrashed. John Lewis also faced arrests for the same.
In 1963, John Lewis became the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. In the same year, he also joined the members of the Big six that included leaders (Whitney Young, Martin Luther King Jr, Roy Wilkins, A. Phillip Randolph, and James Farmer) of the Civil Rights Movement. John Lewis provided his assistance in forming the plan of marching on Washington D.C.
He was the youngest speaker who had to brief his speech in giving other organizers a chance to express their views. However, John still shined with his delivering speech motivating people and persuading them to recognize the fact that if any of the fundamental factors related to economic, social, and politics are tackled in their community, then everyone must initiate in pulling them out.
Awards & Achievements
John Lewis is the recipient of many prestigious honors for two years (1999 – 2020). He got his debut award in 1999, receiving Anisfield-Wolf Book Award for Nonfiction. Besides this, John has also got other honorary recognitions during the year 2020. One such was the NAACP Image Award-Chairman’s Award. John Lewis is the recipient of numerous honorary academy degrees including:
- Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Troy University in 1989
- Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Northeastern University in 1995
- Honorary Humane Letters degree from Brandeis University in 1998
- Honorary LHD from Juniata College in 2004
- Honorary LL.D. degree from Adelphi University in 2007
- Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in 2014
- Honorary Doctor of Policy Analysis from the Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School in 2016
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from City College of New York in 2019
John Lewis has been the recipient of honorary degrees from other well-known universities including Hampton University, Yale University, Tulane University, Lawrence University, University of Connecticut School of Law, Emory University, Portland State University, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, Marquette University, and others.
John Lewis In Film, Documentaries & Graphic Novel
If you are a movie buff who loves watching all kinds of films with no confined genre choice, then you might have watched Selma, a film that came seven years ago. The character of John Lewis was enacted by the actor Stephan James. He even had a guest appearance in a song ‘My President’ by American rapper Young Jeezy in his music video. The release of this song came during the inauguration ceremony of former American president Barack Obama.
Four years ago from now, John Lewis lent his voice for an episode Arthur Takes a Stand from Arthur. From 2017 and 2020, came two documentaries on John Lewis in the name of John Lewis: Get in the Way and another one John Lewis: Good Trouble. John also made his appearance in Bobby Kennedy for President, which was also a documentary.
In this, he is shown commending Robert Kennedy for his support for civil rights through his serving term as New York Senator, and of the presidential campaign of Kennedy in 1968. John was deeply affected by the assassination of Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. John Lewis also made an appearance with American actress and singer Amandla Stenberg for presenting the Best Picture Award to Green Book during the Academy Awards event in 2019 on 24th February. Green Book was a biographical comedy-drama film that came in 2018 and was directed by Peter Farrelly.
John Lewis also became part of a popular Comic-Con event in the promotion of a graphic novel based on him at San Diego. He made his presence in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017. During his visit to Comic fest in 2015, he was seen wearing the same attire that he wore on Bloody Sunday. The event garnered huge attention and was once again repeated in the next two following years.
How Did John Lewis Get So Rich?
One of the reasons John Lewis became rich is when he got $23, 500 from union PAC. A quarter of $98, 5000 is known to be from his collection from all Public Accounts Committee. The political committees of the American Federation of Teachers, North America Laborers International Union took the contributing step in giving John a $5K amount. Many insurances, financial and business firms have been much help to John Lewis.
How Much is John Lewis Worth?
In August 2021, $300 million was supposed to be the estimated net worth of civil rights activist and politician John Lewis. He had earned his fortune from his lucrative career in politics and appearances in public. There are not many accurate facts about his salaries and assets, but it is pretty much sure that he lived a good life.
John Lewis Famous Quotes
After getting to know much about John Lewis, now let us glance at some of his 5 inspirational quotes below:
You must be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way… to get in the way.
The vote is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have.
There’s nothing wrong with a little agitation for what’s right or what’s fair.
You have to be optimistic in order to continue to move forward.
I believe in forgiveness; I believe in trying to work with people.
