BOOK ONE
JOHN LEWIS ANDREW AYDIN     NATE POWELL
the past and future child n of the movement,
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KlO ONE ELSE COULD TEU- THOSE" CHICK-eNi A.PAS-T, NO OWE
CAP-ED TO.
fcH°DE ISLAND EE^S*
f f
\ knew e^em o^e of -mew ew
TWEM ^J£«E EACH tMDI^lDUALS To M£
IT Took oS F»nr DAMS to
qe-t hfp- out.
wE FINALLY ?OT SOME BASKET AtJP LO^CP-ET
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THEN) THÉflE WAS LIL PULU.T, (AM FAVOtüTE. SHE UVED lomůeH tyAA* ANS
OTrtFft. 81 ED l HAD.
spRtNQTtwe was ^ famopite tiwe ůf Meak. becaose *t       the onlw seasoM
Wf couO> GET CrtíC^S.
whew THE HEnS BEOM I^^THElIt EíWS   v'D MAR*. EAcH oME wOH A UQHTĽ1 PENCILED wWM?Ee. To HEH1 ^E? TfeAtK OF ITS pfcoqPESS DuR\N<S THE THREE
wfcEVLS \r TDölC TD hatc+v.
THE NUMBERS wE:RE auwavs opD. N EN Eft. E>JEW. 1 HAD &EEN TDtP rOEMEfc. TD ?i>T a to E'JEM WUAASEß-ON&ER a SETT(M«St HEW .
it	WAS
SAD	LOCK. --
pW THaSE SETTlMíj HEisJS
i also learmed THAT A hew (WILL CONTINUE TO SET AS L-OKlQ-
AS she HAS e<j^s ukDER*>EATH her..
T^LS cuT DouiM on THE WUM6ER. OF "BAD"
so    supf>Mq- More- eggs uudep.
lAH HENS, I WAS ASLE To KEEP THEW SETTlMfr  AwSTHEK. THREE wsetCS.
1
5TPETCHIW<1 OUT   THAT PROCESS  IS MOT wATi/RAL, mjD vt TOO*. A
6
So, I   BUILT A MAKESHIFT
tNCuBM"OR..
>%m4 h
IT WORKED.
I auoams HoPEXj TO same ENOUGH momev Ft*. AM ACTUAL IUCORAToR, hue THE" *l*-15" I^dDEL (»VCT»TtSEP im THE SEAltS-PoeBocK cATAuo^r-
25
I FELL ASLEEP NI&rtTf OREAAmNCt
A-BoOT IT THE wAW, oTHEP- CHILDBED [>REApaEP NBoiTT  BICYCLES AMD
do lu houses.
6uT i KjAS NEVJFfc. A6l£ "TO AFFopt) If,
85S, $■
f L
/    i-f woo \<wed cWekeAs so mucU | wUvj didv^H ^ov become a
up wHAT \ REMtM WANTED to' &E ooAS a PREACHlTtR.-Mm UNOE GA^E ME A BIBLE R>fc CHRISTMAS UiMEM I WAS. FoVJK.--
WHEto I was FooP».
fid KOTrtER- B-EADiM^ AUwD To )AE TrtE RPST vJOWi
26
Bi Trte Tl^t l vJ*S FWE  1 Í.OUL.D R£AC> IT  (M SE.V-F, Awt> ŮME FrtR-ME STflu£.< SA I- STRONGL^ ( TUOUGtt  I Cťsul-bN'T CoWPfcE^ENt> ITS FuLL- MEAulM^ AT THE TI WE —
Trtfc^ would Bc**J TWElfL HEAPS,
SHAKE
PREACHER..
TS
l would DEUTER, K EULOCiY-
Mrt PARENTS WOULD WAICH -THE NEVIEST TtNV OPF"i ^ THE MEKT *o«J OF Sl*kAA-
OF SOU TUE* «AP.
3
TME Btoop FROW ITS BůDY Awt> DIP »T ^ BolU^ WM"ERy
sčAupikjGí it to uwsew its
FEKTMEfó FDP- PCUCfc-iNOr.
35
the" THING IS, wHEM 1 u>AS YowUiJ,
THERE" VMASNT t^c* oF A c,y^ R\<*tfTS MOVEMENT. I WANTED
To vooftt at SotAETUINtr, sot
6fcD\»mGi up in fLuRAU ALABAWA,        PARENTS kuEvJ it co\jLX> BE DA.NCiE-Ro\jS. to fAAKE ANH WAMES.
out
ujWi+e- people
37
THERE WOUV.D Be NO RESTAURANTS. FoR. US. TO STopAT WE WERE" VsJELU OUT OF THE" SOUTH
SO u*e cARP-VED oor ReSTAufcANT R\G(HT 1** TV\e CAR WVTtf US.
stofpin^ For gAs And bathroom
&REARS TOOR, cAREpoJ, PLANNING,-.
uncle otis hap hAAPE" th)s TRIP SEFbRr and HE" RNE>1 which PLACES
AUn«^ TH? wav OFFERED ,/' ^ ACoLoREt>" BATHROOMS — kLMmfut
38
ßLACK DNMEfcS  «JE FASSEN GoiNGr TUE CfTHE* WMTCTION,
44
ANioTriEfk TlrtE, WE VJEMT td Ttt-E OUTDOOR WAP-KET AND \ WATCHED IAH A^MT  LECH-A SHOP Fb*- A C+HCKEM.
4
37
W LATE. AuCWiT LoVIĚM n WAS Tl^E TO  RETURJKl TD AUftftA^A,
THE COUNTS tXDN'T
Bother. paving* Roads into ■ Ccv_oREt>' communities UNlE" »T WW NECESSARY Fofc.
wh>te traffic to pass through.
our BuS (TSELF WAS Am old HAV>D-ME-D(*"N, ToiT LIKE OUR. scttoOLfccofc^S ■
vwE PA^ED THEIR ScHoot-HouSES AS wEU.,l*>lTrt  NICE PLAHdRCUNP EGUIpMeuT OUTflDE--NoTrtiNCi Uli^E OUR CLUSTER- OF SMAU. c.iNt>£R&u>cK. guiLD(NQS WITH A D\*T PiEL-P ooT RACK BR- RECESS.
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\uH£N  \ GrOT HOME , *H FATHER. WOul-D S-E FURiOUS.
U„jmij,-„, ..t,J»„iu. i      i was CERTAIN HE d J
I.     I WAS CERTAIN Hfc D j
SuT HE NEMER 0*6 ^HtP rtg-- MoT omeR. THAT-
I PlD \T A.GWN, AND
op coue.se: we woout>
ScoUD me again-
but DEEP iwsipe" * thwk- HE kOJEKI there was   NO   SToPPiMGi me.
this mAS A Life decision i had made, AmD »t \ajA_S near.-impossible td turn AwAW from it.
ONE MAM MORwi^ IN lnS"M, NEAR THE EnD OF (am FRESHMAN VfEAE of HKRH ScHoOL, I REAE> A HEADUME "MAT TVST Tv/RWED t*m   WORLD UPSIPE-dovjn-
the u.s. supreme Court had handed Dcujn its decision IN the. school, desegregation cas£C of ggowN VS. tv*E SoARD OF EDUCATION OF TbPEKA
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000356
THE DOCTRINE OF'SEPARATE BUT EQUAL'- uPONl WHICH THE EKiTlltg  VNSTltUTIOM OF SEGREGATION WAS BASED — HAt> BEEN RULED UNCONSTITUTIONAL
i was so excited-- Surely
EVERMTHI NGr WAS Going Tt> CHANGE.
t THOUGHT THAT, CoME fall , v'f BE Ri£>in<5 A STATE-OF-THE-ART guS IB A STATE-op-THE-ART SCHOOL.
^ NOT EV£RWB°t>V wAi So EXCITED.
Bvr l>*i Parents' attitude Didn't bother me nearly as MUCH as THoSE among the /ministers at the cHuRcH,
NEVER. MENTIONED THESE INJUSTICES IN THEIR SERMONS.
IT BID NOT ESCAPE MY NOTICE THAT CwR MINISTER. ALwAlS DEPARTED CHURCH A NICE AUTot*°SltE.
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PR. KtNG'S fAE.SSA.QE HIT ME like A BolT OF lIůHtnxmCV. hie AFřLlED TME  PRINCIPLES  op THE CHfRCH to       AT vjAS HAPPENS fJOVJ, TOOAt. IT WAS CALLED THE SOCIAL Go&fEL-
3i
— amd  \ FELT LIKE HE wAS PgEACHlwSr DIRECTLY TO AAF.
I WENT TO THE   SCHOOL LIBRAE ON MO*DA<Y To Find ouT EVER>fTHi«J<Ť \ CouLP ABouT THIS MAN.
f V *
AT THE TiwE, I coulp only FIND onE NEiwSpKpeR ARTICLE. BuT i«AS A
watershed Hear.
AS» lo-TÄXe^
X4.
IN a SECOND S.UPR.EM.E Cfl^RT
in srowm v. board prated
S€C(RECiAT\oNIST ELECTED OFFICIAL^ URE SewAToRS "3ames eastland of KMSSISSIPPI AND STROIT THvRIAONP  of   SůoTH   CAROLINA, TD SwoEAR TD THE  DEATH THE-lfc. CONTINUED DEFIANCE OF THE couRT.
LimES HAD BEEN DRAwM . BlooO vmAS BEQWiN^SJQ To S?iLu.
THAT AUQUST, Ahl \NCVDENT OCCURRED WHICH NO ONE Cß0U> IGNORE.
\w rAĎMEY, MISSISSIPPI ,THE BôDI OF FOuRTEEN-iEAR. OLD EMMETT TILL wtto xwAí DOWN FROM CHICAGO MUTING" RELATiMES ,ixiAS putLED Fř-CM THE eoTTOM OF THE TAV-LAHATCHIE
A euc-K FARMER- NAMED f*0ses uORVSHT U)t-riMESSEC> THE Two UJHľTB f^EM OEASG'M^ EMMET TILL- FROM Hü RELATIVES' HOME, MiD HAI>        COURAGE To tě5.t1ft GAINST THeM  IN OPeW COURT.
THE AIX-WH'TE TuRV W)*WSi™o WHITE DEFENDANTS NOT *-ULT\.
fS FEW WDNTHS LATER, THEt EMEU CONFESSED
lb THE MURDER. iN LOOH> MAGA2.1ne, BuT THERE
WAS  noTUiMQ To 6e DUNE — THEY HAP ALREADY BEEN TRIED.
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607230
To THE SACK oF THE Bu£.
58
THE 6<slcoTT WENT ON FcR-WĎRE" THAN A KE/vR..
0(1. fcjwq^ EXAMPLE SHöwED ME THAT IT WAS PoSil&LE To Do Mode AS A MINISTER. THAN UjHAT I HAD WITNESSED IN oujM
I WAS IN&PlREP.
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398124888
00454803^9
63
673^16
(Vf MOTHER HAD A PART-TiME ToB WoRXING AT THE WHITE BAPTIST oFEERinCt Home w dowmtciujn] TRXW| ALABAMA.
ONE VAM AT WORK, SHE SAw A LITTLE PAPER PUBLISHED BV, THE ALABAMA  BAPTIST COfiMEwTIOKl
YX MEHTionETP  A. School  ItO NASHVILLE CAILED A.n\£R\cAN BAPTIST TWeOLoGlCAL
semiwary, that wftS toimtlh supported BH the white SWTHERm baptists M*ip
blach   national baptists.
.^v -    <jjBPttJ ••••• ,
ACCORDING To THE ARTICLE, ^ ^
IT WAS A SCHOOL F"oR BLACK men AND WOMEN "TO SToDt TO BECOME MINISTERS OR MISSIONARIES— AND IT OFFERED A  vJORVC-STuPM pRO^KAfA oist cAMFvS.
64
So \ APPLIED TO
GO TO   SCHOOL THERE
i to*&> THE NEW COLLEGE \ju At IwTRODuCtwG JvaE to, Itsl REUGiOM PHilo&oFW—
BOT I  coolost STOP TH>NWn<T
ABoot "rue" Social GoSPEL.
I WAS READING AftOUT -JUSTICE, yoHert THERE WERE
bra^e people ovrr there
W0RX>m& TO  WAKE IT HAPPEN.
65
l STARTEP TO FEEL QullTY POR. NOT POIMGr W>*E. I  BECAME RESTLESS.
66
68
7151
tm
"Ii h ú
^fcT WILL happen*.
Sou need to ůo gAC£ TD TPctf ame> talk. IT OMER- wtTX yo\jP- family.
71
AT Rp-ST "WEI WANTED TO EE SO?f>oRTVviE. &uT THEN WERE AFdA'O. NOT ToVT FOR- T4EMSELME5 , B^T FoP- Trtt>£E Atoo»JD us, out FRIENDS AiJp NfE.lGH.BoPS.
TMEM SAID "TV^EM DIDMT imAWT MWWWGt TO Do UJrM FlLIKJQ-A  St-\T AGAINST THE STATE eF ALABAMA. MOTH»MGr. NOT ONE THINGr.
I wAS HEAMBR6KEN, B^>T ItvjAS THEIR. DE-C\StOW.
72
I WROTE   D*- KiwCr A LETTER. EXPLA\K>\n<5- THAT I would  g£ RETorwInCt TO NASHNILLE IM THE FALL..
looking back, »t MuSt'mE been the SPJR.VT OF H1ST6R.V taK-inct Holo 6F t*H WFE—
BECAUSE IN NASHVILLE ''P MEET PEOPLE WHO 0?EWET> M EHEi TO A SENSE op VAV-uES THAT WOULD FoPEMER. DOMINATE m MOPAL PHIL0SOPHV--
74
the ODMCfREGrATiOM, lep
ItEUN MlUER. SAvTH, wePE BLACK BAPTISTS WiHo'D LEFT THE WHITE CHuRcH BECAUSE THEM KM>BSew FORCeU T& worship |H THE SALOONY.
75
I WAS one o F THE FIRST \J0LAJMTE£P.5> TO ATTQoTJ>
77
i TOLD MH CLASSMATES .
i told two OF m^ CLOSEST FRtEw&S, bebnak.& lafayette and tames beneu
\ ToU> evee.40ne
THAT TA£i SHOULD C«mE -TO T>US W)OR*CSHOP.
a few dams later. we HAP another non-violence lOoR-HSHop.THlS TIME uuATH minsters AND students fkdm a number of different Schools nearby.
gERNARP lafahette luaS one op the first people: To attend UolTH me.
254
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i    soMeri^Es i couldn't heu? but smile—
i BiBi LAwdH— IwHEN SúMgůN£ PLMED SUCH i      AW vjNNATORAL ROLE.
81
82
SEGREGATION AT THE povOMT^WN) STÖRES &oTHEiyčt> US THE MOST.
w£ CďOLD SHO? TttEEE ANt> PAX "THE SAME PRICES AS kiH-lTE CUSTotAEltS, BoT voE COuuDto'r USE THE PRESSING ROOMS, OR. SIT AT THE DľnO-I CouMTETR. TO EAT.
IT wAs HuM\UATiNGt.
84
85
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3701
44
86
ytJ TAviuAR1!, Follow^NQ THE WINTER. &REAR from, schooli our. week-L-N J
WOF-KSrtop  NuMfcEtLS SujELLED.
WE WERE CLOSE TD READy , THOUGH no SPECIFIC DATE HAD WET 6EEM SET" FOR. OUR. FtRST S\T-\N. AS FATE" — OR. THE SfiRir OF HISTORY (^jOULD HAM£ IT, SOKEOKJE ELSE" l^ADE THE  KiOME FOR. us.
on mom&A^ . FeBRoARV v.ilLcO iw GREENSBORO, NORTH CARoUnA, FovR. FgESrtMEN   FROOA  JODRTH CAR-OUWA A+F TOOK SEATi AT THE Douok) TO ujM VAJOOLWORTH's LvjNCH COuNTE-R.
one OF THEf* HAD read th£T F.O.R. ColAIC ASoiT dr.lOWQr A"d (AOnT^DMEP-t , vjH»c^ qoT THEfA TALKING A&ooT nonviolent Action.
l'H  SOW, ftLTf
VT'S, AfiMN^ ■STo\R£
87
306704
THE uEUT DAI .WRETCH STUDENTS 6LAOC NND wrtlTE — HAD To I MED THE OR^UAL Fo\JP- AT vjOoLwJOE-Trt'i.
6M wEDwESt>>-M,TrtE t-WWBEft swEU-EP to 8S" ^t> Similar sit-ins *W
Oi-i PESfto^ T*-. omE WEEK AfTER THE GREENSBoRO SIT-INS,
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1765
41408281903^
UlASrtlMQToM,t>C--8:n AM,
89
49
90
w£ SAl      THAT EEPlE QS>^T F0R SEVERAL HOUR.E.
AT ABouT Si* THAT EVEMIMG, kscRD   CAME  THAT/ IT  WAX TIME TO do.
71
95
0252
OUR. NUMBERS SuOEU£t> Tb cmER-2,00 tTUCe^íTS FOR. CwR, (m^í-T
18
jTStoke bdcX or curse Vf abused. 2. Lau^K out
UaM&       seat ^       (<^r ^ .
5. &\ook entrances te stores oaVsVAe or tV\e a'.siec, wStdtfr,
DO :
\., SVxovJ --jourse*^ £derdV{ aM courVeous at aU titles.
2. S\t straight; aWia\{s £ace tke Counter.
3. Report aft serious Vftt&taftS *° ^ ^^er-
U Refer ir£>r«AaW seeders *p >four leader a oo\\te rnanner. 5 Re^er ttve ***v\ngS o€ les»s CWfcfc, IteV^w* to**,
ON the Morn in Gr op FE.BR.uARM IT*. lltoO, uoE GATHERED To HEAR. \M\LL CWP6EU, , A \jjtfiTE MINISTER- uiHo'D been RuN out of OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI, FoR PLACING; plNO-PON<Ť   in ITH A MAN
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^g-  iw!*eWATE.lt we^t COUJiO TO   T6IW CWP- brothers ^ sisters
the police:, gomspicuouslm ke&ENT wwnE
l^E WERE BEATEhi, ARRIVED GMOrUI AFTER-thE MoB wořE TuetASEVMES out.
M-.---'" -'
ime WAITED to CHANGE AMERICA — To MAKE it SOMETWINůr DiFFEPEKT, SomETHiMG( BETTER.
surrounded eg, So n>a*jh of our friends we feet URE pR\SoNERS in a HOLM wAR.
JLli In
ills
m
BACK AT THE LUNCH COUNTERS, PoUCE CoulD HARDlH KEEP u>P witH THE WA^ES dp STUDENTS gjuujmx FlUUNGt THE EMPTN. SEATS. no SOONER. \noulx> ONE &ROuP BE ARRESTED THAN
ANOTHER. VJOuU> TARE ITS PlACE".
jl        ..i , h  I   I 1
I I
1 iJ
g2 of us \nEnT to tmu TMT DAY.
i
I
the Police wAnth> nothing More thaw to be" RiO of     so thev recced the ba-il from   **oo td  5 5 apiece.
; Ml"
But it dk>4t matter.
IT OiDN'r TAKE HASH^ILLES fbwERS-TWiT-BE LfiNG TO REALIZE IT WAS IKApoSStBLt TO FSRCE US TO PAH Ov>R «"AM OUT.
ARooND f.m., voe were AU, RELEASED
that sundav MoRwiNCr FisK
un^EPsm PRESIDENT'DR . STEPHEN X WRWSHT ADDRESSED MORE WAN l.OOO STuDEhTS ■JAMMED IWT-Q THE UkíMERSIT/ CriAPEL.
DR. OoRvSHT U)AS THE FvRST BLACK. Col-leCiE PFESi&E^T Im THE CouNTPt TD TAKE SUCH A STAND.
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108
when the cal Followed through with its
WOPJiHouSE ROUTINE, IT PROMPTED OUTRAGE FROM AU, onjer the country , TELEGRAMS °F SupPoRT ApR>MED FROK\ RALPH BUNCHE, ELEANOR. ftCOSE>JEU"/
amd HARRY BELAFcMTE . llU, , , ~W
MUCH UKE NASHN1LUE ITSELF, fAAVoR. BEN wOEST V*AD A PJELATlNlEW PROGRESSIVE REPUTATION ON RACE. IT DiP NOT, HowE\>£R, NECESSARILY MEAN
HE w« wiLU\NGr To RISR. HIS ToB AND REPUTATION TO HELP.
BUT o>i *ARO\ 3°* , MAYOR V    WEST ORDERED ouR. RELEASE
WE LEFT TAIL WITH A SENSE OF TRIUMPH, AND WEST f^LSO FORMEP A fciRAciAL- COMMITTEE TO 5TuDi SEGREGATION IN THE OTi. iN RETURN, HE ASKED US TO TEMPORARILY HALT OuR &IT-INS WHILE THE COMMITTEE WORKED, AND W& AGREEU
1
BY THE END OF THE MONTH WE DECIDED WE'D WAITED LONCr
EtJOU^H, So OU FRtDAT" THE ZS*", MOEE THAN A UuWt>RED OF
us MARCHED FRoM FIRST BAPTIST CHvjRcH To N'n£ DowNT&uou STORES.
THERE IwERE NO ARRESTS THAT DAW, BoT AFTER. TENNESSEE GQMERkoR. BuFOR-d- ELLINGTON SAW FooTAGe op THE DAH'S PROTEST om THE NATIONAL NE^S, HE ujAS IRATE- .
'-kin
TVvESE SIT-INS A Re
f0F- THE Co^MENlENcX of,Tv\e CDUU|A6\K
fey. *a
QvJIETLt ■- ALMOST iN^vBl^ --wiTYHtt THE LOCAL
chvrches, a slack communitH Boycott °f /\LL
PouiWTOWN STORES BES-AM- WHAT SOME PEOPLE CALLED A " SELECTSE &u^inG CAMPAIGN."
yiOOLD E^ERlOKiE IrJ THE
Vy**^   coMtiRC&ATlON WHo HAS mot &*^t { SPENT AN^ MoNES DOUWTowN ' PLEASE stand?
OWNT1
OM APRJL g*^ TWOSE tMPTM STREETS , BROUGHT Aw ofFER FPorA TWE MAHORi
towwiTTEE. it pfcoposeO A sMST&rA of " PARTI AL tNTEGfcATlOM"--
wWVCH wAS THE SAME To u5 AS PARTIAL. SEGREGATION*.
WE SAwl THAT Ev^EmCE THE NEXT TlrAE THURGooD MARSHALL- SPo^E AT Rs<.
7WuRGoOC> MARSHALL, voAs a QooO NAAM, BoT USTENIN^ TO
SPEAK. COtJ^CED fAE, MORE THAN EMER, THAT Oufc. REVJOUf WA5 A5 MUCH A5MNST THE TRADITIONAL &LAC-K-LEADERSHiP STRUCTURE As *T u>A5> AQWNSJ SEGREGATION AMO   D\SCR»tA\NATION.
Ill
fime dahs afver (aarshau-sPokE,^ resumed iHE sat-
Mi
THE WEEKEND CLOSED WITH THE CREATION   OF A STUDENT- RvN GfRoup THAT WOULD COORDINATE AND 0*£,A,Ml-TE THE EMT1RET StT-\N MOVEMENT,
A,Nt> wHATTOER. LAM BEYONE*.
112
113
\wtNE Go VTA GO-
P,OtAfcr£> TWE LdoW Vloudi
tF UOEVe TO /mice OURSELVES HEARD, WE MuST DRAMATIZE -me SITUATION, *nD wE WAVE TO STANO TOSETH-EIP-. oufi. own <5o\JERnMEVJT CANNOT Aluhaí T«\S VIOLENCE.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am deeply grateful to Andrew Aydin for all of his hard work. He had a vision, and he never gave up. I believe together we have created something truly meaningful. 1 want to thank Nate Powell for his unbelievable talent^ kind spirit, and hard work. He is a wonderful collaborator. And I want to thank Chris Staros, Brett Warnock, Leigh Walton, Chris Ross, and everyone/at Top Shelf for their openness, their support, and their powerful work.
fjohn Lewis
I want to thank my Mom for the opportunities in my life that her hard work and sacrifice made possible. I am forever indebte^d-To John Lewis for his remarkable life, his trust, his faith, and his friendship. I (am in awe of Nate Powells talent and grateful to work with him. I want to thaiik Sara for her patience and support, Vaughn for his guidance arid-frier^sh\ry^nd Doni for reminding me to have fun. I wish Jordan coulq see th^And thank you Mr. Parker, Mrs. Fuentes, Jacob Gillison, Professor Uehimura and all of the teachers and mentors that gave me the couragejio^walk this road.
{ Andrew Aydin
I'd like to dedicate my work on this book to the memory of Sarah Kirsch (1970-2012), whose compassion, humanity, vision, and talent deeply shaped ie^djrectfcnrjfrTr^ to my wife Rachel, a true
original and cranky do-gooder committedTo^elping^tLTose_wjio need a hand; and to our amazing daughter Harper, in hopes of her growing into a world^ more humane, more considerate, more loving—a world she and her entire generation will inherit. Let's make the world worth it,
Nate Powell
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
JOHN LEWIS is the US. Representative for Georgia's fifth congressional district and an American icon widely known for his role in the civil rights move men t.
As a student at American Baptist Theological Seminary in 1959, Lewis organized sit-in demonstrations at segregated lunch counters in Nashville,Tennessee. In 1961, he volunteered to participate in the Freedom Rides, which challenged segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South. He was beaten severely by angry mobs and arrested by police for challenging the injus- m*65 Erit
tice of "Jim Crow" segregation in the South.
From 1963 to 1966, Lewis was Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). As head of SNCC, Lewis became a nationally recognized figure, dubbed one of the "Big Six" leaders of the civil rights movement. At the age of 23, he was an architect of and a keynote speaker at the historic March on Washington in August 1963.
In 1964,John Lewis coordinated SNCC efforts to organize voter registration drives and community action programs during the Mississippi Freedom Summer.The following year, Lewis helped spearhead one of the most seminal moments of the civil rights movement.Together with Hosea Williams, another notable civil rights leader,John Lewis led over 600 peaceful, orderly protestors across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Alabama on March 7. l965.They intended to march from Selma to Montgomery to demonstrate the need for voting rights in the state.The marchers were attacked by Alabama state troopers in a brutal confrontation that became known as "Bloody Sunday." News broadcasts and photographs revealing the senseless cruelty of the segregated South helped hasten the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Despite physical attacks, serious injuries, and more than 40 arrests, John Lewis remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence. After leaving SNCC in 1966, he continued to work for civil rights, first as Associate Director of the Field Foundation, then with the Southern Regional Council, where he became Executive Director of the Voter Education Project (VEP). In 1977, Lewis was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to direct more than 250,000 volunteers of ACTION, the federal volunteer agency.
In 1981, Lewis was elected to the Atlanta City Council. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 1986 and represented Georgia's fifth district there ever since. In 2011 he was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.
Lewis' 1998 memoir Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement won numerous honors, including the Robert F. Kennedy, Lillian Smith, and Anisfield- Wolf Book Awards. His most recent book, Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change, has won the NAACP Image Award.
(From Lift to ri^ht); Natť Pítwl-II, t'ongrvismjii John LirwLS.AnJicw Ay<i*iii.
Mioro by S;iixli Vill.
ANDREW A YD IN, an Atlanta native, currently serves in Rep. John Lewis'Washington, D.C. office handling telecommunications and technology policy as well as new media. Previously, he served as communications director and press secretary during Lewis' 2008 and 2010 re-election campaigns, as district aide to Rep. John Larson, and as special assistant to Connecticut Lt. Governor Kevin Sullivan. Andrew is a graduate of the Lovett School in Atlanta,Trinity College in Hartford, and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
NATE POWELL is a New York Times best-selling graphic novelist born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1978. He began self-publishing at age 14, and graduated from the School ofVisual Arts in 2000. His work includes the critically acclaimed Any Empire, Swallow Mi Whole (winner of the Eisner Award and Ignatz Award, finalist for the LA Times Book Prize), The Year of the Beasts, The Silence of Our friends, and Sounds of Your Name.
Powell appeared at the United Nations in 2011, discussing his contribution to the fiction anthology What You Wish For: A Book for Daifur alongside some of the worlds foremost writers of young adult fiction.
In addition to March, Powell is also currently drawing the graphic novel adaptation of Rick Riordan's #1 international bestseller Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero, while writing and drawing his own forthcoming graphic novel Cover and assembling the short story collection Vow Don't Say.
March: Book One © 2013 John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.
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First printing,August 2013. Printed in Canada.