To commemorate Black History Month, LWVCC sponsored an author talk and an extensive exhibit based on Raymond Arsenault’s new book, John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community. This is the first full length biography of this great American hero. In a time when there are efforts to suppress information about African American history in schools, and to put limits on voting rights, it is fitting that we honor John Lewis, a giant in America’s struggle for civil rights, voting rights and human rights.
Over 100 visitors listened to Arsenault trace Lewis's upbringing in rural Alabama, his activism as a Freedom Rider and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, his championing of voting rights and anti-poverty initiatives, and his decades of service as the "conscience of Congress." For six decades Lewis was a towering figure in the U.S. struggle for civil rights. As an activist and progressive congressman, he was renowned for his unshakable integrity, indomitable courage, and determination to get into "good trouble."
Lewis promoted a philosophy of nonviolence to bring about change. He helped the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders plan the 1963 March on Washington, where at only 23 years of age, he spoke at the Lincoln Memorial. Lewis's activism led to repeated arrests and beatings, most notably when he suffered a skull fracture in Selma, Alabama, during the 1965 police attack later known as Bloody Sunday. He was instrumental in the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and in Congress he advocated for racial and economic justice, immigration reform, LGBTQ rights, and national health care. All causes we still are fighting for. Arsenault recounted Lewis's lifetime of work toward one overarching goal: realizing the "beloved community," an ideal society based on equity and inclusion. The event was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Collier County, the NAACP, and the Collier County Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Shelby and Iqbal Mamdani Foundation and the Arsenault Studios.The Exhibit was designed and curated by Yvonne Hill. Signed copies of the book can be purchased locally at Barnes and Nobles.