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We Remember Civil Rights Legend John Lewis (Pieces of History, U.S. National Archives)

There is perhaps no single figure whose own life and career embodies the promise, success, and continued challenges of civil rights for Black Americans than John Lewis. We mourn this tremendous loss and look back on his incredible history through our holdings dating back to the early 1960s, including the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and “Bloody Sunday,” the first March from Selma to Montgomery.  

Representative Lewis spent his life fighting for human rights and civil liberties and working to create a more perfect union. The son of sharecroppers, he grew up on his family’s Alabama farm and attended segregated public schools. As a child, he was inspired by Reverend Martin Luther King, whom he heard on his family’s home radio. 

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Group News Item

Updated: 2020-10-31

Human Rights Archives Section