read at Third Place Books Seward Park location
Words of wisdom from John Lewis
- “A good day is waking up! It’s awakening to the world and realizing the possibility that every day brings. You can write your own script and determine how you live each moment. And how you will respond to the people and events throughout your day. You don’t have to jump ahead and think always about the future. Take in and absorb every moment, and you’ll find yourself noticing little things — whether it’s the birds chirping, the dew on the grass, the sweetness of morning, or the wind blowing your face and skin. […] Indeed, waking up is a good day. Being alive.”
- John Lewis’ daily routine while working in Congress involved getting up around 5am, reading 5 newspapers, walking to the Capitol and working out in the gym, walking on the treadmill and lifting weights, all before getting to his office around 8am. Wow.
- “Young people today can look to people in their families and in their communities to find mentors. You don’t have to have all the answers. You don’t have to know everything, You already know in your heart what is right and good, what is decent, just, fair. If you want to grow, find someone who has walked the walk. A mentor is a sounding board who gives you direction and guidance, and who asks you questions for you to work out on your own. We all need mentors. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.”
- On being considered a hero: “I don’t consider what I did during the civil rights protests to be heroic — it was necessary. But it’s a positive thing if my actions inspire others to be heroic.”
- On non-violent activism: “As I’ve said before to all the rioters throughout the nation, I understand your anger and dismay. It is a brutal reality that young, unarmed Black people are victims of institutionalized violence. It is a travesty and a tragedy. Destruction doesn’t work. Rioting isn’t a movement. We must be constructive and not destructive. […] I’ve said to get organized, make a plan. Sit in, stand up. Be fierce. Be stubborn. Get out the vote. Our work is never easy. It’s hard. When you move in the direction of the good, more will come to the cause. It may not happen overnight, or in a few days, weeks, or years. But have faith that your good work will be a drop in the river that will eventually break the dam, ushering in a more peaceful world.”
- “I think most humans are born with good character. […] I believe that most people are kind and decent.”
- “Whatever good work you do, whatever powerful, profound work — do it because it’s right or because it’s necessary. Do it to make change for the better. Do it because you know you must. Don’t do it for credit.”
- “When you forgive, you give yourself peace. You deserve this peace. By forgiving, you free yourself from negative thoughts and from spiraling downward. This is when you can start the healing process and move toward reconciliation. An apology may never come. But it may. And when it does: Forgive.”
- “I return to Scripture when it says: “For what shall it profit a man, if he should gain the whole world, but lose his soul?” (Mark 8:36).
- “I believe that health care is a human right.”
- On communication: “I moved to Atlanta after college and attended the church where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. preached. While he was practicing his sermons, his father — Daddy King — would sit in the first pew and say, “Make it plain. Make it clear. Make it real.” […] What is it that you want to say? How can you boil it down to the fewest words? What is the central truth that you’re trying to communicate? You don’t have to use fancy words to impress people. You don’t need to have an advanced degree or be an impressive speechwriter. When you speak with conviction and emotion, you will appeal to the hearts of your listeners. […] Yes, we have to choose our words carefully. Maybe it’s not the right time to say a certain phrase or put something a certain way. But it’s never the right time to say nothing and to stay silent. We all have the obligation to communicate with each other about the type of society and world in which we want to live. […] Every movement is about communication, and how we choose to communicate is integral to the direction and eventual success of the movement. You can also communicate with actions to draw attention to that which you are protesting or demonstrating against. During the civil rights movement, we dramatized certain events so that they would invite attention and press coverage. We would time our marches so they coincided with the news. […] You can’t communicate in a vacuum. You have to think carefully, not only about the message you’re trying to send, but how you’re going to send it. […] Speak the language of the people. And make sure to understand with whom you are communicating. Who are they? What are their values? What are their needs? Your job as a communicator is to figure all that out and apply that knowledge to what you are saying.”
- On death, generally, and on the multiple times he thought he was going to die, particularly one time as he was crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama: “[The police] ran me over and beat me with sticks over the head. I thought that maybe my time had come. I thought I would die right there on the bridge. There was a certain peace in this realization. I was unafraid. If it was my time to die, I knew that my sacrifice would mean something, and it would not be in vain. I would have given my life to the cause which was greater than myself. That was my love to give, too. My life had a purpose, even if that meant giving it to help improve the lives of others. Dr. King once said that if we don’t have a cause or purpose for which we’re willing to die, then we’re not fit to live. Life and death are linked. What truth do you believe so strongly that you’re willing to die for it? When you let go of your fears, you will find meaning and life in the service of others.”
- On leaving a legacy: “I would like to be remembered as a boy from Troy, Alabama, who saw something, said something, and did something about it. I hope that those who learn my story are inspired to take action in their communities. To push, to pull, to fight for the rights of all people. It’s important to never lose hope and to realize that in the end, what matters was how you treated people, whether you were kind to them, and how you responded to the wrongs that you or your brothers and sisters faced.”
“Be patient. Be hopeful. Be humble. Be bold. Be better.
Keep the faith.
Carry on.”
