John Lewis (1940–2020), who served in Congress since 1987, was a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was a founder and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and played a key role in the struggle to end segregation. Despite more than forty arrests, physical attacks, and serious injuries, he remained a devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence. He also helped organize the Freedom Rides. He is co-author of the first comics work ever to win the National Book Award, the bestselling graphic novel memoir trilogy March, written with Andrew Aydin. He is also the recipient of numerous awards from national and international institutions including the Lincoln Medal, the John F. Kennedy “Profile in Courage” Lifetime Achievement Award, and the NAACP Spingarn Medal, among many others. |
