Courageous John Lewis: 'Conscience of Congress' - Troy, AL - Alabama Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

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.

Marker Name: Courageous John Lewis: 'Conscience of Congress' Marker Type: Urban Addtional Information:: Presented February 2-3, 2018 during John Lewis Day in Pike County Erected by the Alabama Tourism Department. Date Dedicated / Placed: 2018 Marker Number: N/A

Visit Instructions:
Please post a photo of you OR your GPS at the marker location. Also if you know of any additional links not already mentioned about this bit of Alabama history please include that in your log.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   07/31/2022 Markerman62 visited it