The Impact of John Lewis on African American Culture

Congress as well as black America as a whole is in mourning as a result of the untimely death of Congressman John R. Lewis. However in this time of loss it is important to look back fondly on this legacy of this great man, and appreciate his impact on black culture as well as American politics.

It

is a well known fact that John lewis was a civil rights activist in the 1960’s however what is often overlooked is how he set a precedent for students and young adults as activists by becoming the chairman of sncc at 23 on of the youngest in a leadership position in his time.He was also the youngest speaker on the march on Washington. This young man in highly visible positions of leadership in the black community encouraged many other young people to join the movement and normalized the idea civil rights leaders under the age of 30.

A visible figure in the match Edmund Pettus bridge, he was like many other peaceful marchers, brutally attacked by Selma police by bull whips and clubs,resulting in his skull being fractured. However his injuries showed the appalled country and illuminated how broken the system actually was and helped rally support from Americans of all different colors to the cause.

He ran for representative of the 5th congressional district of Georgia in 1987, providing black representation in Congress and in the media. He made clear that it was always accepted to rebel against unjust entities in our country coining the term “good trouble”. He dedicated his career to healing the divide between Americans and bringing equality. Late in his career he was still working on initiatives to reach young people of color and call them to action during this new civil rights movement, with his series autobiographical graphic novels , “The March trilogy”. His last months were spent making statements defending protests of late in outrage of recent cases of police brutality and senseless killing. He started his career fighting for the rights of his people and continued fighting until his last days. John Lewis will always be remembered for his legacy and his impact on his culture as well as his country.