A biography for John Lewishasn’t been written yet.
“We must continue to go forward as one people, as brothers and sisters.”
“What 'March' is saying is that it doesn't matter whether we are black or white, Latino or Asian. It doesn't matter whether we are straight or gay.”
“I was honored to have an opportunity to speak on August 28th, 1963.”
“The government, both state and federal, has a duty to be reasonable and accommodating.”
“Listening to Dr. King on the radio inspired me. Coming under the influence of Jim Lawson inspired me to think that I, too, could do something.”
“The assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. made me very, very sad, and I mourned and I cried like many of our citizens did.”
“I have met every president since President Kennedy. And I think Barack Obama must be listed as one of the best. This young man has been so inspiring - not just to people in America but to people all around the world.”
“In 1965, the attempted march from Selma to Montgomery on March 7 was planned to dramatize to the state of Alabama and to the nation that people of color wanted to register to vote.”
“Rosa Parks inspired me to find a way to get in the way, to get in trouble... good trouble, necessary trouble.”
“I couldn't say no to A. Philip Randolph and no to Martin Luther King, Jr. These two men, I loved them, I admired them, and they were my heroes.”
“People come up to me in airports, they walk into the office, and they say, 'I'm going to cry; I'm going to pass out.' And I say, 'Please don't pass out; I'm not a doctor.'”
“You have to tell the whole truth, the good and the bad, maybe some things that are uncomfortable for some people.”
“I wanted young people to know that I was just a typical child.”
“Many young people, many children, are being abused, being put down, being bullied because of their sexual orientation.”
“Reading the Martin Luther King story, that little comic book, set me on the path that I'm on today.”
“I believe race is too heavy a burden to carry into the 21st century. It's time to lay it down. We all came here in different ships, but now we're all in the same boat.”
“1963, because of the sense of moral authority that the civil rights movement had, we were able to get people to respond, because of the quality of our demand and our sense of moral authority.”
“I do not agree with what Mr. Snowden did. He has damaged American international relations and compromised our national security. He leaked classified information and may have jeopardized human lives. That must be condemned.”
“Love is a better way.”
“What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and its grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.”