Veronique Millon/The Hoya John Lewis’ address Wednesday kicked off Martin Luther King Jr. week.
Young people must continue to take a stand for civil rights and issues concerning their generation, Congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.), a nine-term U.S. Representative and the sole surviving speaker of the 1963 March on Washington, said Wednesday night.
Speaking to a standing-room-only crowd in the ICC Auditorium, Lewis, a prominent figure of the 1960’s protests and demonstrations for equality for blacks, discussed the profound effect Martin Luther King Jr. had upon his life and the vision of a nation.
“In my mind he was a modern-day Moses in using the church as an instrument to freedom,” Lewis said.
Though the congressman recounted various amusing anecdotes from his childhood growing up on a rural farm in Alabama, he also acknowledged that as a young man he had “tasted the bitter fruit of segregation.”
Lewis remembered writing to King and receiving a bus ticket to ontgomery to meet the civil rights activist. It was an encounter that would change his life, he said.
“Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to the heart of all of us who believed in nonviolence and love,” Lewis said. “This man that I marched with, in my estimation, personified the best of humankind.”
Lewis also discussed how John F. Kennedy’s 1960 presidential campaign inspired him. He called this time in history a “period of great expectations.”
While leading his own demonstration for voting rights on March 7, 1965, in Selma, Ala., Lewis and many other protesters were beaten and severely injured by state police. Lewis recounted being knocked unconscious with a police nightstick.
He said at the time he could not understand how President Johnson could send troops to the Vietnam War and not send troops to protect blacks trying to register to vote in his own country. The media attention around the demonstration and the subsequent protests involving Dr. King paved the way for the passage of the pivotal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
“We still have a distance to go before we get to that beloved community, but we own our way and we will get there,” Lewis said. “Our forefathers came in different boats but we are in the same ship now.”
After his speech, Lewis answered questions from audience members. Jessica Rucker (SFS ’05) asked how she could motivate her peers.
Lewis said young people must find active roles in “taking that great leap to where Dr. King and Robert Kennedy left off.” He cited the use of new technology such as Web sites and faxes to help motivate peers and their representatives.
“This is an election year. The vote is the most powerful nonviolent weapon we have in a democracy and we don’t use it,” Lewis said. “It was Martin Luther King Jr.’s message to get in the way, this generation of young people needs to get in the way.”
Attesting to the importance of all voices being heard, Lewis criticized the loss of civil rights in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He called upon young people to rise up and protest the “wholesale of civil rights in the name of national security,” including what he called “unnecessary” billions of dollars spent on the recent Iraq war.
Angelique Forrester (NHS ’05) expressed admiration for Lewis’ simple message of love and peace.
“Just seeing someone who has been through so much pain and yet isn’t full of hate is something we can learn from, especially in our world,” Forrester said. “As the product of an era with so much darkness, his achievements make him a symbol of hope and strength.”
“I was amazed by the passion he exuded when describing how artin Luther King affected his life and I think it’s important for our generation to see the heart of a man like him who refused to give up,” Sara Choe (COL ’05) said.
After the speech, College Dean Jane McAuliffe presented Lewis with the President’s Medal for having spent more than 40 years in the struggle for civil rights. The speech kicked off a weeklong celebration designed to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
