John Robert Lewis was an American statesman and civil rights leader who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until his death in 2020. He was the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from 1963 to 1966. Profoundly inspirational John Lewis quotes will challenge the way you think, and make your life worth living.
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Famous John Lewis Quotes
I say to people today, You must be prepared if you believe in something. If you believe in something, you have to go for it. As individuals, we may not live to see the end. John Lewis
I believe race is too heavy a burden to carry into the 21st century.It’s time to lay it down.We all came here in different ships, but now we’re all in the same boat. John lewis
You must be bold, brave, and courageous and find a way to get in the way. John Lewis
We are one people, one family, the human family, and what affects one of us affects us all.
When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something. John Lewis
I believe in freedom of speech, but I also believe that we have an obligation to condemn speech that is racist, bigoted, anti Semitic, or hateful.
I want to see young people in America feel the spirit of the 1960s and find a way to get in the way. To find a way to get in trouble. Good trouble, necessary trouble. John Lewis
When growing up, I saw segregation. I saw racial discrimination. I saw those signs that said white men, colored men. White women, colored women. White waiting. And I didn’t like it.
The civil rights movement was based on faith. Many of us who were participants in this movement saw our involvement as an extension of our faith. We saw ourselves doing the work of the Almighty. Segregation and racial discrimination were not in keeping with our faith, so we had to do something. John Lewis
Obama is not an African American president, but a president of all Americans. It doesn’t matter if you are black, white, Hispanic, he’s the president of all races.
It was not enough to come and listen to a great sermon or message every Sunday morning and be confined to those four walls and those four corners. You had to get out and do something. John Lewis
My parents told me in the very beginning as a young child when I raised the question about segregation and racial discrimination, they told me not to get in the way, not to get in trouble, not to make any noise.
Rosa Parks inspired me to find a way to get in the way, to get in trouble good trouble, necessary trouble. John Lewis
We need some creative tension; people crying out for the things they want. John Lewis
Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.
What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it’s grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible. John Lewis
Darkness cannot overcome darkness, only light can do that. Violence can never overcome violence, only peace can do that. Hate can never overcome hate, only love can do that.
Before we went on any protest, whether it was sit ins or the freedom rides or any march, we prepared ourselves, and we were disciplined. We were committed to the way of peace the way of non violence the way of love the way of life as the way of living. John Lewis
Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society. Why? Because human beings are the most dynamic link to the divine on this planet. John lewis
We all live in the same house, we all must be part of the effort to hold down our little house. When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just do something about it. Say something. Have the courage. Have the backbone. Get in the way. Walk with the wind. It’s all going to work out. John Lewis
You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone any person or any force dampen, dim, or diminish your light.
We need someone who will stand up and speak up and speak out for the people who need help, for people who are being discriminated against. And it doesn’t matter whether they are black or white, Latino, Asian or Native American, whether they are straight or gay, Muslim, Christian, or Jews. John Lewis
To make it hard, to make it difficult, almost impossible for people to cast a vote is not in keeping with the democratic process.
I remember back in the 1960s late 50s, really reading a comic book called ‘Martin Luther King Jr. and the Montgomery Story.’ Fourteen pages. It sold for 10 cents. And this little book inspired me to attend non violence workshops, to study about Gandhi, about Thoreau, to study Martin Luther King, Jr., to study civil disobedience. John Lewis
Every generation leaves behind a legacy. What that legacy will be is determined by the people of that generation. What legacy do you want to leave behind?
Some of us gave a little blood for the right to participate in the democratic process. John Lewis
The government, both state and federal, has a duty to be reasonable and accommodating.
There’s nothing wrong with a little agitation for what’s right or what’s fair. John Lewis
What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it’s grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.
Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote. John Lewis
A democracy cannot thrive where power remains unchecked and justice is reserved for a select few. Ignoring these cries and failing to respond to this movement is simply not an option for peace cannot exist where justice is not served.
Following the teaching of Gandhi and Thoreau, Dr. King, it set me on a path. And I never looked back. John Lewis
It was not enough to come and listen to a great sermon or message every Sunday morning and be confined to those four walls and those four corners. You had to get out and do something.
You have to tell the whole truth, the good and the bad, maybe some things that are uncomfortable for some people. John Lewis
When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to say something; you have to do something.
Never become bitter, and in the process, be happy and just go for it. John Lewis
Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves until we end hatred and division.
People come up to me in airports, they walk into the office, and they say, ‘I’m going to cry; I’m going to pass out. And I say, ‘Please don’t pass out; I’m not a doctor. John Lewis
I believed innocently and profoundly as a child that the world could be a better place.
The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. made me very, very sad, and I mourned and I cried like many of our citizens did. John Lewis
We are one people with one family. We all live in the same house and through books, through information, we must find a way to say to people that we must lay down the burden of hate. For hate is too heavy a burden to bear. John Lewis
You cannot be afraid to speak up and speak out for what you believe. You have to have courage, raw courage.
When growing up, I saw segregation. I saw racial discrimination. I saw those signs that said white men, colored men. White women, colored women. White waiting. And I didn’t like it. John Lewis
Too many of us still believe our differences define us.
You cannot be afraid to speak up and speak out for what you believe. You have to have courage, raw courage. John Lewis
You cannot be afraid to speak up and speak out for what you believe. You have to have courage, raw courage. John Lewis
Our struggle is a struggle to redeem the soul of America. It’s not a struggle that lasts for a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or a few years. It is the struggle of a lifetime, more than one lifetime. John Lewis
We are tired of being beaten by policemen. We are tired of seeing our people locked up in jails over and over again. And then you holler, ‘Be patient.’ How long can we be patient? John Lewis
It is my hope that people today will see that, in another time, in another period, when we saw the need for people to speak up, to organize, to mobilize, and to do something about injustice, we came together. John Lewis
I really believe that all of us, as Americans we all need to be treated like fellow human beings. John Lewis
If you’re not hopeful and optimistic, then you just give up. You have to take that long hard look and just believe that if your consistent, you will succeed John Lewis
Not one of us can rest, be happy, be at home, be at peace with ourselves, until we end hatred and division. John Lewis
When people tell me nothing has changed, I say come walk in my shoes and I will show you change. John Lewis
I believe race is too heavy a burden to carry into the 21st century. It’s time to lay it down. We all came here in different ships, but now we’re all in the same boat. John Lewis
Nonviolence is one of those immutable principles that we cannot and must not deviate from. John Lewis
Too many of us still believe our differences define us. John Lewis
We built a coalition of conscience, and that we can do it again, and we can go forward, and help redeem the soul of America. John Lewis
We are one people; we are only family. And when we finally accept these truths, then we will be able to fulfill Dr. King’s dream to build a beloved community, a nation, and a world at peace with itself. John Lewis
We never gave up. We didn’t get lost in a sea of despair. We kept the faith. We kept pushing and pulling. We kept marching. And we made some progress. John Lewis
We’re one people, and we all live in the same house. Not the American house, but the world house. John Lewis
I truly believe that one day we will get there, we will arrive. And if we do it right in America, maybe, just maybe, we can serve as a model for the rest of the world. John Lewis
The scars and stains of racism are still deeply embedded in the American society. John Lewis
People must understand that people were beaten, arrested, jailed, and some people were murdered, while attempting to register to vote, or to get others to register to vote. John Lewis
If someone had told me in 1963 that one day I would be in Congress, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy. You don’t know what you’re talking about. John Lewis
I say to people today, You must be prepared if you believe in something. If you believe in something, you have to go for it. As individuals, we may not live to see the end. John Lewis
Now we have black and white elected officials working together. Today, we have gone beyond just passing laws. Now we have to create a sense that we are one community, one family. Really, we are the American family. John Lewis
March is a path you must take if you want to move from one point to another point. If you want to make it down this very long and troublesome road, follow this path. Follow this message. Follow this map. And you will get there some day. John Lewis
I would say the country is a different country. It is a better country. The signs I saw when I was growing up are gone and they will not return. In many ways, the walls of segregation have been torn down. John Lewis
Even in the civil rights movement, there were so many unbelievable women. They never, ever received the credit that they should have received. They did all of the, and I cannot say it, they did all of the dirty work. Hard work. John Lewis
When I was a student, I studied philosophy and religion. I talked about being patient. Some people say I was too hopeful, too optimistic, but you have to be optimistic just in keeping with the philosophy of non violence. John Lewis
In spite of all of the things, the issues, that we may be confronting today, I’m very hopeful, very optimistic about the future. John Lewis
If you ask me whether the election of Barack Obama is the fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream, I say, ‘No, it’s just a down payment. John Lewis
Races don’t fall in love, genders don’t fall in love: Individuals fall in love. We all should be free to marry the person that we love. John Lewis
There are still forces in America that want to divide us along racial lines, religious lines, sex, class. But we’ve come too far; we’ve made too much progress to stop or to pull back. We must go forward. And I believe we will get there. John Lewis
Medgar Evers was assassinated in his driveway retuning from an NAACP meeting in downtown Jackson. And then you go back there years later, and the blood is still on the driveway. They cannot wash it away. John Lewi
Sometimes I hear people saying, ‘Nothing has changed.’ Come and walk in my shoes. John Lewis
Right now what my job is, and I think the job of Democrats and Republicans, is to protect the middle class and working families of this country from some devastating ideas that Donald Trump has proposed. John Lewis
