Meeting History

Below is a post recently published on the WAIP blog by J.T., one of our summer Glenn Fellows.

Being in D.C. allows you to be around a group of people who play a major role in shaping policy that can affect your daily lives and even your future. However, there are only a couple of current politicans I can think of who really have made history. One of those is current Congressman John Lewis ( D- Georgia), who is considered one of the "Big Six" from the Civil Right Movement of the 1960s, one of the 10 speakers from the March of Washington, and one of the founders of the Nashville sit-ins that integrated the city's public facilities. Needless to say, he's a politician AND a historical figure who played a major role in ending Jim Crow segregation in our country.

I hadn't heard much of Congressman Lewis' story until this past Winter Quarter, where his autobiography was assigned for my Sixties history class. After reading his story, I was completely inspired and moved by the amount of dedication and faith Lewis carried throughout the movement. During the Freedom Rides, Lewis was almost beaten to death by a violent mob of bigots and had his skull fractured during the March to Selma now known as Bloody Sunday.

When I arrived here for the summer I thought it would be a fun idea to at least see if I could arrange a meeting with him. I knew it would be a difficult task given that it seems that most Reps and Senators have crazy schedules, but I thought it would be worth a try. I definitely wasn't expecting to actually make it happen but I was approved for an appointment with Congressman Lewis!

I was so nervous walking to his office knowing that I would be meeting someone that has been so important to the Civil Rights Movement. Barack Obama had signed a picture after his presidential inauguration with the phrase, "Because of you, John." YEAH THAT'S HOW IMPORTANT HE IS! Luckily, Congressman Lewis was as friendly and humble as I could have imagined. I was shocked that I was speaking to walking history, as he gave insight into his relationships with Martin Luther King to SNCC members to his violent encounters with the KKK.

I was so fortunate for Congressman Lewis to have given me an hour of his time and will always remember that meeting!

- JT