John Robert Lewis was an influential American civil rights activist and statesman who dedicated his life to ending legalized racial segregation in the United States. Born in 1940, Lewis became a foundational figure in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. He participated in pivotal historic actions, including the 1960 Nashville sit-ins and the Freedom Rides, and served as the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) from 1963 to 1966.
As one of the "Big Six" leaders who organized the historic 1963 March on Washington, Lewis played a crucial role in national advocacy. In 1965, he led the first of the Selma to Montgomery marches across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. During this demonstration, state troopers and police attacked Lewis and his fellow marchers in a violent confrontation that became widely known as Bloody Sunday.
Following his years of grassroots activism, Lewis transitioned into electoral politics as a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986, he represented Georgia's 5th congressional district, which included most of Atlanta, for 17 terms until his death in 2020. Throughout his legislative career, he served as a key leader within the House, holding positions as chief deputy whip and senior chief deputy whip, and received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
