“Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble”
“Good Trouble, Necessary Trouble”
A Tribute To Civil Rights Warrior John Lewis
By Wes Hessel
Black And White
February 21st, 1940, John Robert Lewis was born near Troy, AL, the third oldest of his nine siblings. His parents were sharecroppers, eking a living out of the land. As was typical for African-Americans in the South at the time, segregation was just a part of life. John was not really aware of the difference elsewhere for some years until he began traveling to visit relatives in the North. This particularly became apparent when, at 11 years old, an uncle took him to Buffalo, NY, where he saw clearly the integration of Northern businesses and institutions, in stark contrast to the boldly drawn lines of Troy in black and white.
Faith In Action
From a young age, he was a man of faith who spoke out about it and from it. At 5, Master Lewis was pronouncing lessons over his first flock, the family’s chickens. Ten years later, Mr. Lewis gave his debut sermon in public. That same year, John had heard Martin Luther King, Jr. speak for the first time on a radio broadcast. Mr. Lewis then watched closely the King-led boycott of the Montgomery city buses, sparked to flame by the resolve of Rosa Parks. John first met MLK when he was 18. In addition to Dr. King’s inspiration, Mr. Lewis later credited evangelist Billy Graham as a significant influence on his choice to enter Christian ministry.
“The Boy From Troy”
Having been denied admission by Troy University, Mr. Lewis wrote to MLK, and an invitation was extended for John to discuss it personally with Dr. King. The civil rights leader and Mr. Lewis considered together the possibility of pursuing a discrimination suit against the school but MLK cautioned “the boy from Troy”, as Dr. King came to call John, that Mr. Lewis’ family could be put at risk. After conferring with his parents, John opted instead to attend a historically black college in Nashville, American Baptist Theological Seminary. Mr. Lewis was ordained in the Baptist church, and later continued his education, receiving a second Bachelor of Arts in religion and philosophy from Fisk University.
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