John Lewis
Virnesha Brown John Lewis
John Lewis was an African American civil rights activist
who is most remembered for his acts of “good trouble’’. On March 7, 1965, a group of 600 people walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, on what would be known as “Bloody Sunday.” Lewis and other people marched across the bridge in the fight for equal voting rights for Black people. But he and the other peaceful protesters were met by police officers carrying batons. The police fired tear gas onto the crowd and attacked them, leaving many bloody and wounded. Lewis was knocked unconscious.
1.
Who was John Lewis?
2.
What was the name of the march that John Lewis participated in?
3.
What was Bloody Sunday? Why did it happen?
4.
How did the police respond?
The events of Bloody Sunday were caught on camera and televised to the country. Dr. King joined Lewis and thousands of other protesters to march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Their efforts eventually led to the signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed the discriminatory practices that prevented many Black Americans from voting
Who joined Lewis on his march from Selma to Montgomery?
5.
6.
The march on Selma led to what?
7.
What did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 do?
Lewis eventually became a congressman from Georgia in 1987, serving until his death from pancreatic cancer at the age of 80 on July 17, 2020.
During his time in Congress he continued his work for civil rights and encouraged young people do the hard work necessary to change the country by getting into “good trouble”
8.
What did Lewis eventually become?
9.
What did John Lewis encourage young people to do?
“Good trouble”
Meeting Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “inspired me to stand up, to speak up, and speak out. And I got in the way, I got in trouble — good trouble, necessary trouble.” he learned from Dr. King that sometimes the only way to bring about good change was by getting in the right kind of trouble, good trouble. While fighting for justice John lewis was beaten, harrased and arrested 45 times.
10.
In your own words write the meaning of good trouble.
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