Pillar 2: Introduction
"John R. Lewis exemplified an unwavering commitment to recognizing the necessity of transformation among individuals, communities, and social structures. He stressed the need to confront -- with nonviolence -- racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of dehumanization. Our goal is that students are moved and empowered to intervene to create a more equitable and just world."
Breaking it down
Line 1: John R. Lewis exemplified an unwavering commitment to recognizing the necessity of transformation among individuals, communities, and social structures.
Starting as a young activist, John R. Lewis engaged in protests that led to 40 arrests throughout his life. Lewis recognized that social change was a communal activity. He believed that people coming together to mentor, protest, and learn could create a society that they wanted to live in, what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others called the “beloved community.” Creating that community required persistence, optimism, and the willingness to make what Lewis called "good trouble, necessary trouble.” As a Congressman, he took his radicalism inside the establishment, forever changing the Democratic Party and America itself.
Line 2: He stressed the need to confront -- with nonviolence -- racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of dehumanization.
John R. Lewis embraced nonviolent, civil disobedience as a means for confronting the oppression of all underserved people. He stood at the forefront of civil rights movements centering on immigrant, low-income, LGBTQIA, and trans rights. For example, Lewis supported same-sex marriage in the early 2000s, years before many fellow African Americans and Democrats embraced the issue, and more than a decade prior to the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing the unions.
Line 3: Our goal is that students are moved and empowered to intervene to create a more equitable and just world.
This pillar is meant to empower students to become active members of their community, to learn about social justice issues, and to create a more inclusive and equitable world.
Moving Forward
Ahead, you will get a historical look at how John R. Lewis's commitment to justice.