Seeing John Lewis at #alaac16

I love attending #alaac16.

Today I saw Congressman John Lewis. The audience gave him a 3 minute standing ovation as he came onto the stage. I cried. It was so moving to see in person a man who had been one of my childhood heroes. Lewis was speaking along with Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell, who co-authored & illustrated his graphic novel series, March.

John Lewis was a founding member and leader in the civil rights movement that fought to end legal segregation. He continues to advocate for equality and stated, “It doesn’t matter if you are black, white, Latino, gay or straight. We are all one people and we all live in the same house.” He urged all to,”Stand up. Speak up, to help change the world.”

He spoke eloquently in a deep, booming voice. I could see him as a young boy preaching to his family’s chickens. Read March 1 & 2 to learn more about John Lewis and his role in the Civil Right Movement and his ongoing work to promote peaceful solutions and stopping gun violence.