Courageous John Lewis: 'Conscience of Congress' - Troy, AL
Posted by: hoteltwo
N 31° 48.535 W 085° 57.942
16R E 597899 N 3519721
Notes the rise of John Lewis from a Civil Rights leader to being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving more than 30 years.
Waymark Code: WM13XGB
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 03/07/2021
Views: 2
Marker text:
Courageous John Lewis: 'Conscience of Congress'
Lewis was regarded among "the Big Six” leaders during the civil rights movement era.
After settling in Atlanta, he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as associate director of the federal volunteer agency ACTION. He was serving on the Atlanta City Council when he was elected in 1986 to represent metro Atlanta in the United States House of Representatives, a position he held for more than three decades.
Lewis served in leadership roles on numerous major congressional committees. As a member of the Interior Committee, he was the chief sponsor of a 15-year effort to create the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The Smithsonian-affiliated museum opened on the National Mall in 2016. During his congressional career, Lewis was widely regarded as “the conscience of the Congress.”
In 2011, President Barack Obama presented Lewis with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. On the 50th anniversary of the Selma march in 2015, Lewis introduced the first African American president, who responded that it was “a great honor to be introduced by one of my heroes.
Lewis' biography Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement, was published in 1998.