Celebrate John Lewis with Progressive Action for the Common Good
Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG) and the Liberty and Justice Movement are holding a rally to honor the late U.S. House of Representatives member and civil rights activist John Lewis. The rally will be on Saturday, February 22 at 12 p.m. at the corner of 16th Street and John Deere Road in Moline. Members of Liberty and Justice will be joining PACG's weekly Racial Equality Rally that has been held since George Floyd died in 2020.
John Lewis championed voting rights and civil rights his entire life. He grew up with his parents, brothers and sisters in the house his father built in Troy, Alabama. Lewis developed his soothing speaking manner by calming the family's chickens, learning to express himself calmly and nonviolently. Lewis was only a year older than Emmett Till, who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in Mississippi. Till's death influenced Lewis' actions for the rest of his life.
He became one of the original 13 Freedom Riders in 1961, planning to ride interstate buses from Washington DC to New Orleans. He helped organize the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Lewis and others were beaten and arrested after crossing the Selma, Alabama bridge during the Selma to Montgomery March on March 7, 1965. He worked throughout his life, advocating for civil rights, equality and voting rights and served 17 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Visit PACG's website or contact Randy Flowers at my4kidsdad@netzero.net for more information.
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