John Lewis March Quotes

Throughout history, the youth of the generation challenges the status quo. At the zenith of physical vigor and sensitivity, we expose ourselves to influences of a broader world. Subtlety is lost, acute distinctions of what was black and white suddenly become the different shades of gray. Our appetite for curiosity shape our worldview. Life becomes visceral, and truth is revealed rather than logically proven. In the graphic novel, March by John Lewis, he tells the story of his youth as he reflects on the past. His generation refused to accept the narrow confines of the social norm and sought to break free. Their nonviolent protests was not only an act of resistance but that of also self-expression. The societal dogma of segregation and institutional racism would finally come to surface during the early years of his youth. We can gain further insight of this historical time from the following passages.

John Lewis was compelled to enact change to the world he lived in.

He was not alone, many of his peers felt the same drive. John Lewis quotes, “Jim Lawson conveyed the urgency of developing our philosophy, our discipline, our understanding. His words liberated me. I thought, this is it… This is the way out.” John Lewis’s calling becomes clear, his new sense of purpose is what drives his motivations now. This drive is, in part, because he recognizes his own power to change his world. He also realizes that he does not have to accept the way life he was born into. This rejection is what liberates him, he sees the potential of what his world can be and this potential is recognized within his

peers.
Each of his peers begins to work together to strengthen their ideology, and discipline. John Lewis explains, “Lawson taught us how to protect ourselves, how to disarm our attackers by connecting to their humanity, how to protect each other, how to survive.” This quote describes the nonviolent training that he and his peers are learning. Throughout this narrative, you feel the sense of unity and cooperation that took place. While listening to a speech by Scilla Elworthy on fighting with nonviolence. One of the most memorable quotes from her speech is when she uses the analogy, “Anger is like gasoline, when you spray it around, all it takes is one match to have an inferno, but when anger is placed in an engine it becomes powerful force for change.” John Lewis’s student organization became an engine for change. The anger from the injustices against African Americans was directed, disciplined, and controlled.
In conclusion, John Lewis and the many others in his generation