In honor of Black History Month, let’s reflect on the life and work of John Lewis. John passed away in July 2020. He was a civil rights leader best remembered for the march on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. That Civil Rights event came to be known as “Bloody Sunday.” Six hundred people marched that day, and more than 50 marchers were injured when confronted by law enforcement. The march supported the Voting Rights Act, which aimed to overcome legal barriers preventing African Americans from voting. The Voting Rights Act was signed into law a few months after this march. John was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize in 1975 and in 2011 the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Learn more about famous African Americans by checking out a book on display in the library.
“When you see something that is not the way it should be, don’t be afraid. Speak up, speak out, be courageous.”
― John Lewis, Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation