John Lewis Essay

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Jamaika Johnson
11.13.2015

John Lewis- House of Representatives

John Lewis was born on February 21, 1940 in Troy, Alabama to Willie Mae and Eddie Lewis. Lewis was raised on his family’s farm and he also attended public school in Pike County, Alabama. The schools that Lewis attended were segregated. During his time spent in public school, a major event took place. On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks, an African American woman, refused to give up her seat to a white man. This started the 13 month Montgomery Bus Boycott. This movement resulted in a very significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement. Growing up, Lewis was inspired by and admired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was in these important years, that John Lewis made the decision to become a part of the Civil Rights Movement. And ever since, Lewis …show more content…

At the time, he had his sights set on attending the nearby all-white Troy State College, now known as Troy University, to study ministry. But because of the oppressive segregation, he knew that attending the school of his choice was impossible because they didn't grant Blacks admission into the College. He had also wanted to attend the infamous Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, but the tuition was too expensive for his family to pay. His mother presented him with a brochure from American Baptist College, which was a predominantly African American establishment in Nashville, Tennessee. He eventually decided on this school because the students were allowed to work for the school versus paying the tuition. However, while he was attending American Baptist, Lewis thought about transferring to Troy State. In December of 1957, Lewis officially applied to Troy State via registered mail. To his dismay, he didn’t receive a letter of acceptance or a denial- that’s how many southern universities dealt with admission applications from African Americans, by just ignoring

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