Top 20 Facts about John Lewis

Top 20 Facts about John Lewis

*Originally published by Lydia in November 2022 and Updated by Vanessa R in November 2023  and Updated by Vanessa R in  January 2024

John Robert Lewis was an American politician and civil rights activist. He served in the U. S. House of Representatives under the Democratic Party for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 till his death in 2020.

He was one of the Democratic Party in the House, serving from 1991 as a chief deputy whip and senior chief deputy whip from 2003. He was also awarded over 50 honorary degrees, including an honorary LL.D. degree from Harvard University.

Learn more about John Lewis in these top 15 facts.

1. When John Lewis Was a Teenager, He Met Martin Luther King Jr

Lewis first heard Martin Luther King Jr. on the radio in 1955, and he closely followed King’s Montgomery bus boycott later that year; he met King for the first time at 18. Lewis got denied admission to Troy University in Alabama, wrote to King expressing it, and was invited to visit King.

King referred to Lewis as “the boy from Troy” and discussed suing the university for discrimination, but he warned Lewis that doing so could endanger his family in Troy. After discussing it with his parents, he decided instead to proceed with his education at a small historically black college in Tennessee.

Also read: 30 Famous African Americans in History

2. John Lewis Aspired to be a Preacher

Rep. John Lewis (D-GA). Photo by sourced from Wikimedia

As a boy, he aspired to be a preacher, and at 5, Lewis preached to his family’s chickens on the farm. He preached his first public sermon at the age of 15. Later, he also credited evangelist Billy Graham; he stated that Graham inspired him “to a significant degree” to fulfil his aspirations of becoming a minister.

He graduated from the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee, and was ordained as a Baptist minister. Lewis then earned a bachelor’s degree in religion and philosophy from Fisk University, a historically black college, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

3. Lewis Fought for the Establishment of the National African-American Museum

After Lewis was sworn into Congress in 1988, he introduced a bill to create a national African-American museum in Washington. The bill failed, and for 15 years, he continued to introduce it to each new Congress.

The bill won bipartisan support, and President George W. Bush signed the bill to establish the museum with the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents to establish the location. The National Museum of African American History and Culture, located adjacent to the Washington Monument, held its opening ceremony on September 25, 2016.

4. When He Was a Student, He Was Part of The Nashville Student Movement

While he was a student, he became an activist in the civil rights movement. Lewis used to organise sit-ins at segregated lunch counters in Nashville and participated in many other civil rights activities as part of the Nashville Student Movement.

The sit-in movement was responsible for the desegregation of lunch counters in the city’s downtown. Lewis was arrested and jailed many times during the nonviolent activities to desegregate the city’s downtown businesses. He organized bus boycotts and nonviolent protests to support voting rights and racial equality.

Check out: Top 10 Facts about Black History Month in the US

5. He Served as Chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

Photo by United States Congress, Office of Terri Sewell-Wikimedia

After Charles McDew stepped down as chairman of SNCC, he took up the position because he had experience and was widely respected. Lewis’ courage and tenacious adherence to the philosophy of reconciliation and nonviolence enabled him to emerge as a leader.

Lewis wrote a response to Kennedy’s 1963 Civil Rights Bill; he denounced it because it did not protect African Americans against police brutality or provide them with the right to vote. Lewis served as SNCC chairman until 1966, when Stokely Carmichael replaced him.

6. Lewis Became One of the 13 Original Freedom Riders in 1961

There was a group of seven blacks and six whites who planned to ride on interstate buses from Washington, D.C., to New Orleans to challenge the policies of Southern states along the route that imposed segregated seating on the buses, violating federal policy for interstate transportation. While in South Carolina, Lewis and other nonviolent Freedom Riders were beaten by angry mobs and arrested. Lewis was also imprisoned for 40 days in the notorious Mississippi State Penitentiary in Sunflower County.

7. John Lewis Was Married to Lillian Miles

Lewis met Lillian Miles at a New Year’s Eve party hosted by Xernona Clayton. They got married in 1968, and in 1976 they adopted one son, John-Miles. His wife died on December 31, 2012.

8. Lewis Was Reelected More Than 16 Times in the U.S. House of Representative

Photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel-Wikimedia

In 1986 Lewis ran for 5th district; he finished in second place with 35%. In the November general election, he defeated Republican Portia Scott 75% to 25%. Lewis was reelected 18 times, dropping below 70 percent of the vote in the general election only once in 1994, when he defeated Republican Dale Dixon by a 38-point margin, 69%-31%. Lewis ran unopposed in 1996, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2014, and 2018.

9. He Was Involved in Several Protest

During the inauguration of George W. Bush in January 2002, Lewis boycotted by staying in his Atlanta district. He didn’t attend the inauguration because he did not believe Bush had been elected president. He was one of the 30 other House Democrats who voted not to count the 20 electoral votes from Ohio in the 2004 presidential election.

In March 2003, Lewis spoke to a crowd of 30,000 in Oregon during an anti-war protest before the start of the Iraq War. In 2006 and 2009, he was arrested for protesting against the genocide in Darfur outside the Sudanese embassy.

Lewis was one of the eight U.S. representatives from six states arrested while holding a sit-in near the west side of the U.S. Capitol building to advocate for immigration reform.

Also read: Top 10 Outstanding Facts about the Constitution of the United States of America (1787)

10. Lewis Died of Pancreatic Cancer

Lewis announced that he had been diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer on December 29, 2019. He was getting treatment in the Washington, D.C., area for his treatment, and on July 17, 2020, he died after suffering from the disease for eight months in Atlanta.

Public ceremonies honouring Lewis began in his hometown of Troy, Alabama, at Troy University, which had dined his admission in 1957 due to racial segregation. His casket was taken for a memorial at the historic Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama. Lewis was buried at Atlanta’s historic South View Cemetery.

11. He helped organise the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965

United States Congress, Office of Nancy Pelosi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

John Lewis was a pivotal figure in the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965, a pivotal moment in the American civil rights movement. These marches were a series of protests aimed at gaining voting rights for African Americans in Alabama. Lewis, a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), played a key role in organising and leading the marches.

On March 7, 1965, the marchers were met by state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, who attacked them with tear gas and billy clubs. This event became known as “Bloody Sunday.” Despite the violence, the marchers continued their journey to Montgomery, where they met with Governor George Wallace. Wallace refused to negotiate with the marchers, but their actions helped to pressure Congress to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting.

12. He was a vegetarian

John Lewis was a man of many principles, and one of them was his commitment to vegetarianism. He adopted a plant-based diet in the 1950s, and he remained steadfast in his commitment to it throughout his life. Lewis believed that vegetarianism was not only a healthy lifestyle choice but also a way to be compassionate towards animals. He was a strong advocate for animal welfare, and he believed that eating meat was cruel and unnecessary.

Lewis’s vegetarianism was not always easy to maintain, especially as a public figure. He often had to travel and dine out, and it was not always easy to find vegetarian options. But Lewis never wavered in his commitment to his diet. He believed that it was the right thing to do, and he was willing to make sacrifices to uphold his principles.

13. Atlanta City Council

John Lewis was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1982. This was a significant achievement for Lewis, who had been involved in the civil rights movement since the early 1960s. It was also a sign of progress for Atlanta, which was becoming a more diverse and inclusive city.

Lewis’s election to the City Council was a victory for all Atlantans, regardless of race or ethnicity. It was a reminder that the city was committed to equality and justice for all.

14. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011

John Lewis was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011 by President Barack Obama. This was the nation’s highest civilian honour, and it was given to Lewis in recognition of his lifetime of service to the country. Lewis had been a tireless advocate for civil rights and justice, and he had played a pivotal role in the movement to end racial discrimination in America. The Presidential Medal of Freedom was a fitting tribute to a man who had dedicated his life to making America a better place.

15. He was the first African American to lie in state in the United States Capitol

Ami Bera, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

John Lewis was the first African American to lie in state in the United States Capitol. This honour, usually reserved for presidents and other high-ranking officials, was a testament to Lewis’s lifelong dedication to fighting for equality and justice.

Lewis’s body lay in state in the Rotunda of the Capitol for two days, from July 27 to 28, 2020. Thousands of people came to pay their respects to the man who had marched for freedom alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and had spent his life fighting for the rights of all Americans. Lewis’s legacy will continue to inspire generations of Americans to fight for what is right. His unwavering commitment to justice will never be forgotten.

16. Lewis became an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights

See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lewis had grown up in a conservative household where topics like sexuality and gender identity were rarely discussed openly. However, when he went away to college, Lewis was exposed to new ideas and perspectives. He became friends with several students who identified as LGBTQ+ and heard firsthand about the discrimination and struggles they faced. Though initially unsure how to react, Lewis started educating himself about LGBTQ+ issues and realised that love is love, regardless of gender. He decided he wanted to stand up as an ally alongside his new friends.

This led Lewis to join his college’s LGBTQ+ advocacy club and eventually become its president. After college, inspired by the community he had discovered, Lewis continued advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. He volunteered with local organisations, participated in pride parades and protests, and used his social media platform to share information and resources. Through his involvement over the years, Lewis found his life’s passion—giving voice to and creating change for the LGBTQ+ community he had come to deeply care about.

17. He co-authored a trilogy of graphic novels titled “March”

John Lewis sought to continue spreading his message of justice and equality through accessible means into the 21st century. Having witnessed both monumental victories and devastating setbacks, Lewis believed that recalling the emotional impact and profound courage of the movement was vital for inspiring new generations. This conviction ultimately led him to co-author the award-winning March trilogy. Collaborating with Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, Lewis crafted the trilogy in graphic novel format, recognising that visual storytelling could uniquely immerse contemporary readers in the struggle for civil rights.

Unfolding Lewis’ childhood on an Alabama farm through the historic marches in Selma and Washington, D.C., the novels powerfully depicted how young people were instrumental agents of change. For Lewis, the trilogy allowed him to reach wider audiences and cement an accessible record of the movement’s moral bravery. Both as a memoir and a rousing call to action, March fulfilled Lewis’ vision to pass the torch, reminding all who read it of ongoing struggles for justice today.

18. Lewis was a strong supporter of affordable healthcare

United States Congress, Office of John Garamendi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Having grown up poor in rural Alabama, John Lewis understood firsthand the challenges of accessing medical care, especially for marginalised communities. He saw how racial inequities and poverty often meant worse health outcomes for African Americans due to a lack of insurance, high costs, and discrimination. When he became a congressman, Lewis prioritised supporting policies that provided quality, affordable healthcare, as he viewed it as a basic human right. With his characteristic passion, he advocated for measures like the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid expansion, and community health centres, which increased care for the uninsured and underserved.

Having nearly died from injuries sustained during the civil rights movement, Lewis knew the physical and economic burdens illness could bring. He fervently fought so the most vulnerable would not have to endure the same barriers as he once did. At every turn, Lewis uplifted health equity as part of his vision for a more just society. He stood behind the right for all people to receive affordable, compassionate care that had the power to save lives.

19. He was an advocate for gun control measures

As a civil rights icon who had witnessed extreme violence firsthand, John Lewis was moved to take a stand against the epidemic of gun deaths plaguing America. Having been beaten and bloodied while peacefully protesting for voting rights in 1965, he understood the physical and psychological trauma inflicted by unfettered access to firearms. Now serving as a representative of both his Georgia district and the nonviolent movement, Lewis fearlessly confronted the gun lobby, arguing stricter controls would save innocent lives. Despite criticisms and threats, he passionately advocated for universal background checks, assault weapons bans, and measures blocking domestic abusers from purchasing guns.

For Lewis, such actions aligned with his belief in nonviolence and reflected the urgency to counter the plague of murders and suicides enabled by loose regulations. While some called him radical, Lewis considered unrestricted gun access the real extremism, allowing Americans to be killed in classrooms, movie theatres, and neighbourhoods nationwide. With the same spirit that compelled his historic marches, Lewis implored lawmakers to finally put lives above lobbyists, working tirelessly to eradicate the scourge of gun violence.

20. Lewis was dedicated to environmental justice

Lorie Shaull from Washington, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

John Lewis saw environmental justice as an integral part of human rights and believed polluted air and water disproportionately impacted marginalised groups. From his rural upbringing, he understood the deep ties communities can have to their land and natural resources. As a result, as a congressman, Lewis advocated for policies and programmes that protected the environments of disadvantaged neighbourhoods. He stood firmly against practices like dumping toxic waste near low-income housing and restricting community access to clean public spaces.

Lewis also recognised that climate change would amplify racial and economic inequities if left unaddressed. He supported initiatives that stimulated growth in renewable energy fields while ensuring they benefited underprivileged groups through job creation and ownership opportunities. Through his position on the House Sustainability Committee later in his career, Lewis gave greater voice to an environmental agenda founded on principles of equality and justice. With forceful yet poised arguments, he insisted that the health of the planet and its people were intertwined and that all levels of society had a collective responsibility towards sustainability.